Brain Dead Baby Recovers

[JoeTheJuggler]

The CNN headline for this story is, "Brain Dead Baby Recovers". I'd say it's mostly an overhyped and irresponsible bit of journalism--the headline especially.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/02/22/lazar.miracle.baby.KCAL

The facts of the story are that a toddler fell in a swimming pool in Ontario (I don't know, but I suspect it was cold water), was pulled out after an unknown time, had no heartbeat or respiration. CPR was given, and after some 2 hours, the baby recovered. I don't see any evidence of brain damage. The doctor's prognosis that the baby would probably not live or at least not without having experienced brain damage 1) has yet to be disproven and 2) is not the same thing as saying the baby was brain dead. (In the story, there is no indication where that pronouncement of "brain death" came from. No heartbeat and no respiration does NOT mean brain death.) The mammalian dive reflex and hypothermia might well explain why the child exhibits no signs of brain damage (yet).

Yet another rare but not-unheard-of phenomenon is given the label "miracle".

[genesplicer]

Here's a link to Mammalian Diving Reflex at wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diving_reflex

Fascinating stuff, particularly that it is strongest among the younger humans...

[godless dave]

The CNN headline for this story is, "Brain Dead Baby Recovers". I'd say it's mostly an overhyped and irresponsible bit of journalism--the headline especially.

On CNN? No!




^
sarcasm and lots of it.

[Skibum]

Here's a link to Mammalian Diving Reflex at wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diving_reflex

Fascinating stuff, particularly that it is strongest among the younger humans...

Mammalian Diving Reflex.
My thoughts exactly.

It's often said in CPR and first aid classes that they aren't dead until they are warm and dead.