Paramedics, nurse practitioner save baby's life

Superior North EMS paramedics and a nurse practitioner are being hailed as heroes after saving a pregnant woman’s baby from near certain death.

On Tuesday paramedics responded to an obstetrical emergency transfer from Nipigon to Thunder Bay. The woman, 36 weeks pregnant at the time, went into labour and it was quickly determined she was suffering from a birth complication known as a prolapsed cord.

“The situation is a very serious condition that can cause death to the fetus within minutes,” said Marc Tousignant, superintendent on the Superior North EMS Nipigon cluster in a release issued on Friday.

“The pressure created between the fetus and the birth canal can pinch off circulation in the cord, resulting in eventual death.”
Susanne Powell, the nurse practitioner who was caring for the mother, kept the pressure off the cord, using her hands, while the fetus was making its way through the birth canal. Meanwhile paramedics measured the heart rate of the baby to verify all was going well.

“This was maintained during the entire transfer to Thunder Bay,” Tousignant said of the one hour, 17-minute commute.
“Upon arrival the patient was quickly assessed and through the prompt interventions of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre staff, a healthy baby boy was delivered moments later by emergency C-section.”