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SALT LAKE COUNTY -- Forget the stork -- AirMed is now delivering babies, and they fly a lot faster.
Even though they've been transporting moms and babies in trouble for 25 years, the high-risk obstetrical team has experienced a first: they delivered a baby in air.
On Sunday, newborn ICU nurse Bobbie Carlisle was part of the team that got the call of a pregnant woman, one month before her due date, in trouble in Wendover. The team met the ambulance in Knolls and got mom on board the helicopter. It was just in time.
"About 15 minutes into the flight the baby decided he didn't want to wait any longer," Carlisle said.
The team delivered a 36-week baby boy.
"He came out and he was a little stunned at first, not breathing quite well. I stimulated him, got him breathing," Carlisle said.
The team cleaned the boy up, took some pictures and introduced him to his mother.
His first view of the world: flying over the Great Salt Lake.
The high-risk obstetrical team is the only one in Utah. Despite their cramped quarters in the AirMed chopper, they have everything they need on board to take care of mom and baby.
While the team has had some close calls in the past, this was the first time they've actually delivered in flight. Without their help in this case, the mother and baby may have suffered serious complications.
Now the only question is what to write as the location of birth on the baby's birth certificate.
"I don't know... Helicopter over the Great Salt Lake?" Carlisle suggested with a laugh.
Mom and baby have been released from the hospital but are resting at a house in the Salt Lake Valley for a few days before they head home, which is in Spokane, Wash.
Meanwhile, the specialized OB team is back to work.
Email: sdallof@ksl.com
