Nagqu, in the Tibetan Plateau region of the Chinese mainland, sits above 4,500 metres, where low oxygen, plummeting temperatures and thin air make childbirth a grueling marathon. Medical experts warn that preterm births, asphyxia and other complications spike at high altitudes, putting mothers and newborns at severe risk.
For a 29-year-old mother, Lin (pseudonym), and her baby, the stakes rose when labour began at dawn. The local clinic’s newborn ward, one of only a handful in the county, scrambled to prepare for an emergency C-section.
Inside the operating theatre, doctors battled the environment: oxygen tanks drained faster, monitors lagged in cold, and anaesthesia doses required precise calibration. "Every breath felt like carrying thousands of pounds," recalls one nurse.
What makes high-altitude childbirth tough:
- Low oxygen: increases risk of asphyxia
- Cold nights: heighten hypothermia dangers
- Thin air: complicates surgical procedures
After a tense two-hour operation, the infant’s first cry broke the plateau’s silence. Both mother and newborn were then moved to a heated recovery room with constant oxygen support.
Today, Lin’s baby is feeding well and slowly gaining strength. Their fragile survival highlights the critical need for specialized maternal and neonatal care in remote communities.
As more families seek quality health services at the roof of the world, this story shows that even in the harshest settings, resilience combined with expert care can give new life a fighting chance.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
