Photos: Doctor saves the life of a 35-day-old baby after head was sliced open by falling knife

A 35-day-old baby girl who was severely injured after a knife fell on her head has been saved by doctors in northern Vietnam. Doctor Nguyen Quoc Hung from Quang Ninh Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital said that surgeons managed to remove a knife from the infant’s head following a two-hour surgery.

Phung Thanh Van, the baby from Quang Ninh Province, was hospitalized with a three-centimeter open wound on her forehead, a one-centimeter fracture to her skull, and a hematoma, doctors at the hospital said, adding that she had suffered a brain injury on the left side of her forehead caused by the knife.

Van’s family said that the incident occurred on Saturday, March 19, when the baby was being taken care of by her six-year-old older brother. She was wounded when the knife suddenly fell and sliced open her forehead.

 As soon as the baby was transferred to the hospital, a medical consultation was conducted and surgery was performed using bipolar electrosurgery.

Fourteen hours after the operation, Van awoke from her coma and remained in a stable condition, according to the surgeons. Two days later, scans revealed no complications but her recovery is not yet confirmed, with her life remaining under threat despite stable external signs including pulse and blood pressure, Dr. Hung said.