Air New Zealand appears unlikely to review guidelines for pregnant passengers after the death of a baby born prematurely on a flight from Brisbane to Auckland on Friday.
Passengers watched helplessly as the New Zealand woman, 34 weeks pregnant, gave birth helped by two nurses, crew members and
fellow travellers.
A couple of nurses on the flight tended to the woman and used shoelaces to tie off the umbilical cord but were unable to save the baby's life.
An Air New Zealand spokesman said no further comment would be made about the incident, out of respect for the baby's family.
He refused to say whether pregnancy guidelines - which allowed women to travel up to 36 weeks pregnant - would be reviewed but pointed to Middlemore Hospital information that the baby was stillborn.
Airlines can make their own rules about pregnant travellers, but most advise 36 weeks as the safe cut-off point for boarding a plane.
Yesterday, leading obstetrician Alec Ekeroma said flying when 34 weeks pregnant would not normally be considered risky, unless there were complications earlier in the pregnancy.
Ekeroma said pregnant passengers usually had to get a certificate from their doctors to show how far through their pregnancies they were, but some got on their flights without telling airlines.
Because Friday's flight had been relatively short, Ekeroma said he would be surprised if signs of labour had not been present before the flight left. But it depended on whether the woman had a history of fast labours.
A Middlemore spokeswoman confirmed the baby was stillborn and said there was nothing to indicate Air New Zealand was "in any way remiss". "They did everything they could."
- ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY NZPA
