Tiruppur: A shocking incident has been reported from Tamil Nadu in which a 32-year-old software engineer died after her husband and mother-in-law attempted to deliver her child at home after watching videos on YouTube. Her husband is also a software engineer.
The incident has highlighted the dangers of performing medical procedures at home by relying on social media and without seeking professional advice.
Sasikala, from Punjai Thalavaipalayam village in the Tiruppur district, went into labour in the early hours of June 24. However, instead of seeking medical care, her husband and mother-in-law allegedly decided to conduct a “natural birth” at home after watching videos on YouTube, as reported by The Hindu.
While the baby was delivered safely, Sasikala suffered severe bleeding after the placenta failed to come out completely.
Both Sasikala and her husband, Kolandaisamy, worked as software engineers and already had a six-year-old daughter who was born through a Caesarean section.
The woman allegedly received no antenatal care during her second pregnancy. She was not taken to a hospital, underwent no medical check-ups and did not receive routine vaccinations. Despite having a previous C-section – a condition that often requires careful medical supervision during subsequent pregnancies – the family reportedly chose a home delivery.
After she started bleeding profusely, Sasikala was first taken to a private hospital and later shifted to the Government Hospital in Erode, where doctors performed surgery to remove her uterus in an attempt to control the bleeding. As her condition deteriorated, she was referred to a private hospital in Coimbatore on June 25, as reported by The Times of India.
She died on June 28 despite three days of treatment. The newborn is reported to be stable and under medical supervision.
Sasikala’s pregnancy had also not been registered under the state’s Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation (PICME) system, health officials noted.
The Uttukuli police registered a case against Kolandaisamy, based on a complaint filed by the block medical officer. He has been booked under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), as reported by News18.
This is not the first such case in Tamil Nadu, officials said. Similar YouTube-inspired home deliveries have previously resulted in maternal deaths in the Krishnagiri and Tiruppur districts, they said.
Home births can be particularly dangerous for women with a history of Caesarean delivery, medical experts have repeatedly warned. Complications such as retained placenta and postpartum haemorrhage require immediate medical intervention, and delays in treatment can prove fatal, they said.
