A woman who has been in a coma for seven months has delivered a healthy baby girl.
Shafiya, 23, from the north India region of Uttar Pradesh, became a mother's following a horrific road accident just 40 days into her pregnancy.
The expectant mum was riding on a motorcycle with her partner back in March when her headscarf became trapped in the reer wheel, according to reports, which caused the vehicle to crash.
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The life-changing accident left Shafiya with considerable head injuries and she has had to undergo five different neurological surgeries at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences hospital in Bulandshahr, India.
Shafiya was also placed on a ventilator and had to have a segment of her skull removed to relieve pressure on her brain caused by her injuries from the accident.
Doctors were faced with the difficult decision over whether to terminate Shafiya’s pregnancy due to her condition.
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An ultrasound showed that the baby was unharmed and they ultimately recommended to her family that they continue with the pregnancy.
Shafiya welcomed her daughter while still in the coma on 22 October. She is now off the ventilator and occasionally moves her head and legs, giving some hope that she might get to meet her child one day. However doctors say there is only a 10-15 percent chance of her fully waking from the coma.
Surgeon Deepak Gupta described Shafiya’s case as 'highly unusual', adding: "I haven't come across any such case in my 22-year neurosurgical career at the AIIMS. She is presently in stable condition and is not on ventilator support."
The doctor also urged people to wear a helmet when riding motorcycles: "There is a resistance [towards wearing a] helmet while riding pillion, especially from the Muslim and Sikh community.
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"Women, or anyone, who rides pillion on a two-wheeler should wear a helmet."
In other news, a mum has explained how her daughter’s rare condition leads to her eating walls, cardboard and other household items.
Jordanna Tait, 25, explained she must constantly monitor her daughter Dolly, two, who has a rare eating condition called Pica, which sparks cravings for inedible objects.
"As a mother it's so scary, I have to watch her all the time. We've had to get rid of everything. I don't know what's going to happen next,” Jordanna said.
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You can read more about her story here.
Gregory Robinson