A British woman experienced a dramatic and distressing childbirth during Spain's widespread power outage, giving birth prematurely outside a hotel in Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol. The incident occurred in the early hours of the morning around 3am at the four-star Puente Real hotel.
The young mother, in her early twenties and 30 weeks pregnant, had her waters break while on holiday. She went to the hotel reception seeking help, but due to the ongoing massive blackout affecting the Spanish mainland, emergency services were delayed. Hotel staff attempted to call a taxi and dial 061, the Spanish ambulance service number, but it was too late for transfer.
With the mother going into imminent labour, the receptionist assisted in the delivery in the hotel’s garden. The newborn initially showed no signs of life, appearing to suffer from asphyxia and displaying no pulse. The receptionist, aided by medical instructions over the phone, performed CPR and managed to revive the baby, who began to cough.
Following this emergency, paramedics eventually arrived and transported both mother and baby to Hospital Materno Infantil nearby. The baby, born prematurely at 30 weeks (with full term being 40 weeks), is reported to be in critical condition.
A spokesperson from the regional government-run emergency services coordination centre confirmed the details of the incident. They stated: "A British woman gave birth to a premature baby near reception at the Puente Real hotel in Torremolinos during the early hours of this morning in the midst of the crisis caused by the blackout on the Spanish mainland. The receptionist of the establishment assisted her and even performed CPR on the newborn, who had no pulse. The events occurred around three in the morning. The young woman, in her twenties, who was staying at the hotel, showed up at the reception in the middle of labour, as her water had broken. The receptionist tried to call a taxi and notify the emergency services, but there wasn't enough time. The woman gave birth in the garden at the entrance of the hotel. It was a premature birth, as the girl was in the 30th week of gestation. The baby showed signs of asphyxia and had gone purple so the receptionist, following instructions from medical experts over the phone, performed CPR manoeuvres until it started to cough."
This incident underscores the real-time challenges faced during the extensive power outage that left millions of people across Spain without electricity, affecting homes, businesses, and emergency response capabilities. The Puente Real hotel and its guests were among those directly impacted during this crisis.
Source: Noah Wire Services