Baby girl becomes first born on remote island in 12 years
This aerial view shows the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, northeast of Brazil. (AP) AP
A baby girl has become the first infant in 12 years to be born on a remote island in Brazil that bans childbirth.
The Fernando de Noronha island is around 370km from the coastal city of Natal and is said to be the reserve of some of Brazil’s famous wildlife, including sea turtles, dolphins and rare birds.
The island has about 3000 residents but not a single maternity ward with pregnant mothers asked to travel to the mainland to give birth, the BBC reports.
The new mother, who declined to give her name, is said to be “dumbstruck” after failing to realise she was pregnant.
“I had pains and when I went to the bathroom I saw something coming down between my legs,” the BBC quotes the mother as telling O Globo website.
“That’s when the child’s father came and picked it up. It was a baby, a girl. I was dumbstruck”.
The mother, who is believed to be 22, went into labour at her home. Her family were present while she was pregnant.
Local residents of the island are now donating clothes for the baby.
Fernando de Noronha island has strict policies in place because of its vulnerable wildlife.
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