By Sarah Dallof
Deseret Morning News
SALT LAKE CITY — The AirMed high-risk obstetrical team has been transporting moms and babies in trouble for 25 years. But on June 12, for the first time ever, the team delivered a baby in flight.
Newborn ICU nurse Bobbie Carlisle was part of the team that got the call of a pregnant woman, one month before her due date, in trouble in Wendover.
The team met the ambulance in Knolls and got mom on board the helicopter. It was just in time.
“About 15 minutes into the flight the baby decided he didn’t want to wait any longer,” Carlisle said. The team delivered a 36-week baby boy. “He came out and he was just a little stunned at first, not really breathing quite well. I stimulated him, got him breathing,” Carlisle said.
“He perked up and woke up and he did great! He was the perfect baby.” The team cleaned the boy up.
Once the mom was OK, Carlisle showed her her beautiful baby boy and that’s when the new mom finally relaxed and everything was calm in the helicopter.
The team took some pictures of the historic event.
While the team has had some close calls in the past, this was the first time they’ve actually delivered in flight. The baby’s first view of the world: flying over the Great Salt Lake.
“It was such a good feeling because we train so hard for all of this stuff,” Carlisle said. “We are constantly training to be prepared for something like this happening.”
She said the delivery couldn’t have gone smoother. She explained, “I was talking to the pilot, the pilot was talking to our dispatcher, our dispatcher was talking to the doctors here, keeping them informed of what was going on.”
When they arrived at the University of Utah, a team of doctors was waiting for them. Both mom and baby were released from the hospital and are doing fine.
Now the only question is what to write as the location of birth on the baby’s birth certificate.
“I don’t know ... helicopter over the Great Salt Lake?” Carlisle suggested with a laugh. The high-risk obstetrical team is the only one in Utah.
Despite their cramped quarters in the AirMed chopper, they have everything they need on board to take care of mom and baby.
Copyright 2011 The Deseret News Publishing Co.