Samsung Changwon Hospital Baby Born in Helicopter on New Year’s Day Discharged in Good Health

Emergency Transfer from Jeju to Changwon at 30 Weeks of Pregnancy
Preterm Baby Grows to 4.2 kg After Two Months of Treatment

Sungkyunkwan University Samsung Changwon Hospital announced on the 25th that a baby girl, Kim Haneul, who was born in a fire-fighting helicopter on New Year’s Day, was discharged from the hospital in good health after about two months of intensive care.

Medical staff at Samsung Changwon Hospital are taking a commemorative photo to celebrate Haneuli's discharge.

The mother showed signs of premature rupture of membranes with amniotic fluid leakage before labor began on January 1, creating a situation that required emergency surgery. Based on the medical staff’s assessment, it was decided that she should be urgently transferred from Jeju to Samsung Changwon Hospital, and she gave birth to the baby in the helicopter during the transfer.

The baby, born at 30 weeks of gestation and weighing 1,980 g, received treatment at the Neonatal Intensive Care Regional Center of Samsung Changwon Hospital. The medical staff at Samsung Changwon Hospital focused on treating various complications that are common in premature infants and concentrated on maintaining a stable environment for the baby’s growth.

After about two months of treatment and care, the baby grew healthily to 4.2 kg and returned to her family’s arms.

Professor Kim Youngdon and Professor Kang Dongwan of the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescents at Samsung Changwon Hospital said, “Although it was an urgent transfer and a difficult situation due to preterm birth, we were able to achieve a stable recovery because the medical staff closely monitored the baby’s condition 24 hours a day and continued active treatment. We are grateful to the guardians who trusted the medical team and participated in the treatment, and we hope that the child will continue to grow up healthy in the future.”