Tamil Nadu woman dies after home birth; police probe YouTube advice

Dubai: A 32-year-old woman died from excessive blood loss after delivering her second child at home in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruppur district, with police investigating whether the family relied on YouTube videos promoting “natural childbirth” instead of seeking medical care, NDTV reported.

The woman, identified as Sasikala, delivered a healthy baby at her home in a village in Tiruppur district. However, she developed serious complications after childbirth and died despite being rushed to two hospitals for treatment.

According to investigators, Sasikala had undergone a Caesarean section during her first pregnancy and had reportedly developed an aversion to allopathic treatment. Police suspect the family wanted to avoid another C-section and opted for a home birth after following information available on YouTube.

“The family wanted to give birth in a natural way and hence they did not follow up with government healthcare teams for periodic check-ups and monitoring. We are investigating,” a police officer told NDTV.

Healthy newborn

After the delivery, Sasikala reportedly suffered complications involving the placenta and experienced severe postpartum bleeding. She was first taken to Government Erode Medical College Hospital in Perundurai before being shifted to a private hospital, where she died despite treatment.

The newborn baby is reported to be healthy.

Although the family has not filed a complaint, police have registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against Sasikala’s husband, Kolanthaisamy. Provisions of the National Medical Commission Act have also been invoked. No arrests have been made.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the home delivery, including whether unauthorised persons assisted in the childbirth and what role, if any, unverified online medical advice played in the family’s decision.

The Tamil Nadu Health Department has also launched a parallel inquiry to determine whether the family skipped mandatory antenatal check-ups and ignored repeated advice from public health workers, NDTV reported.