Mumbai: Miracle baby born at Ram Mandir station shows natural healing after heart scare

Since the past month, the infant has been eating well and growing steadily. Pic/By Special Arrangement

Mumbai's "miracle baby boy," born unexpectedly on the platform of the Western Line's Ram Mandir railway station on October 15, has turned a month old and is now thriving - a relief for the family that feared he needed urgent heart surgery.

Soon after his dramatic birth, doctors at Cooper Hospital told the family the baby had a hole in the heart and required immediate cardiac surgery. Distressed, they sought a second opinion at Nair Hospital on the advice of their family doctor and Dr Devika Deshmukh, who had assisted the delivery. At Nair Hospital, a fresh sonography showed the hole was extremely small.

"They said it was tinier than a mustard seed and didn't need immediate surgery," said the baby's mother, Ambika Jha. Dr Deshmukh concurred, noting that such defects often heal as the heart muscles grow. Surgery may be needed later only if it doesn't close on its own.

Over the past month, the infant has fed well, grown steadily and met his milestones. Regular check-ups show signs that the tiny defect is already healing naturally. For the mother, the journey - from delivering on a crowded platform to fearing a major surgery - has been overwhelming. "We will always remember the strangers who helped us and the support from Dr Deshmukh and the Nair team," she said.