Woman goes into labour on Transatlantic flight

A transatlantic flight was put into disarray last Sunday when a woman went into premature labour shortly after the plane had departed Amsterdam. The Boeing 767-300 was forced into making an unscheduled stopped at Shannon airport.

The Delta flight had been flying over the north of England heading towards the Us when she unexpectedly went into labour. The pilot radioed into Shannon to make them aware of the situation and they had the emergency services on stand by on the runway.

The plane landed safety at 2pm as the woman was rushed to University Maternity Hospital Limerick by ambulance. At one stage they feared she would have to give birth on the runway as her contractions became more frequent. The hospital refused to make comment but it is thought mother and baby are doing well. Two hours after the dramatic landing the flight resumed it\’s journey with the other 230 passengers.

The incident has brought up question on pregnancy when flying. Some airlines won\’t accept a woman in late term pregnancy but Delta has no such policy and does not require a medical certificate. However they do recommend a medical check up or discussing travel plans with a doctor before booking a ticket.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has stated that \’there is no significant risk associated directly with air travel during pregnancy, even at advanced gestation.\’ and that the link between early labour and a woman\’s water breaking while flying has not been proved.