Baby delivered by father in hospital toilet

File photo / Paul Estcourt

Waikato Hospital is investigating the birth of a baby delivered by his father, alone in a hospital toilet with the umbilical cord almost strangling the infant.

Rachael Shepherd was admitted to the hospital on March 11 when her blood pressure became elevated, the Waikato Times reported.

She was advised the next day that a shower would relax her contractions. When in the bathroom with a midwife, she felt suddenly the urge to push, so the midwife left to call the original midwife.

Dean Shepherd sat his wife on the toilet and pushed the emergency buzzer but, when nobody came, ended up delivering the baby himself.

"She ended up pushing through one contraction and out came baby's head," Mr Shepherd said.

He was left with his labouring wife for more than five minutes to deliver the baby and free the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby boy's neck, he said.

He kept pushing the buzzer as the baby was looking quite blue.

He checked for the baby's cord, which was under his jaw and around the back of his head, and freed it.

"Then Rach pushed again and out he came," Mr Shepherd said.

The midwife arrived soon after the birth.

An investigation had been launched but because of privacy issues Waikato Hospital was unable to discuss patient details, spokeswoman Mary Anne Gill said.

- NZPA