Tiruppur Woman Dies After Husband Assists Home Birth Using YouTube Videos
A 32-year-old woman from Punjaithalavaipalayam in Tiruppur district died on Sunday due to postpartum haemorrhage and related complications after giving birth at home on June 24. Her husband and mother-in-law allegedly assisted the delivery by watching YouTube videos on natural childbirth, according to police.
The deceased, identified as K. Sasikala, went into labour in the early hours of June 24. Her husband Kolanthasamy, 35, and mother-in-law assisted her, reportedly following online birthing tutorials. She gave birth to a female child, but the placenta was not expelled, leading to severe bleeding.
She was first taken to Government Erode Medical College and Hospital at Perundurai and later admitted to a private hospital in Coimbatore on June 25. Despite treatment, she died on Sunday morning.
The Uthukuli police registered a case against Kolanthasamy under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, based on a complaint from the Block Medical Officer, Kunnathur. However, the deceased's family did not file a complaint, stating the couple had planned a natural home delivery, said Uthukuli Inspector S. Saravanan.
Health Department sources confirmed the infant is healthy and stable. The couple also has a six-year-old daughter, who was born in a hospital in 2020. The department's inquiry revealed that Sasikala was not registered under the Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation (PICME) system.
Police and health officials are continuing their investigation.
