A Mother And Her Infant Died After She Tried Self-Delivering Her Baby Using YouTube Videos
She lived alone nearly 300km away from the rest of her family.
By Alyssa J. Oon — 13 Mar 2019, 05:32 PM
A single mother and her baby in Gorakhpur, India have died after she tried to deliver the child herself using YouTube videos
The Independent reported that the 26-year-old woman had reached the full term of her pregnancy.
The woman's neighbours were first to notice something amiss when they saw blood flowing out of her room on Monday, 11 March
"Her landlord Ravi Upadhyay broke open the door and found the woman and a newborn baby boy lying dead," said Cantonment police station house officer Ravi Rai, according to Hindustan Times.
"He immediately informed the police, who reached the site and sent the body for post-mortem. Her smart phone revealed that she was watching 'how to deliver baby by self' and other similar safe delivery processes on YouTube."
A pair of scissors, a blade, and some thread were found near her body as well.
Police believe the woman had attempted self-delivery because she feared judgement for being an unwed mother
Ravi Rai added that the possible reason behind the mother's self-delivery attempt was "fear of social stigma attached to being an unmarried mother".
The woman had rented the place only four days prior to the incident, while the rest of her family lives nearly 300km away in the city of Bahraich, reported Hindustan Times.
Her relatives confirmed that the woman is unmarried. They have also refused to lodge a first information report (FIR) on the incident.