The baby is the first child of a Filipino couple, Angelo Josephe Violete, and his 32-year-old wife Nedris Masahud.

They were on board Emirates Airlines flight EK332 from Dubai to Manila on August 22 when Masahud gave birth to a premature 1.2-kg boy baby in her 28th week of pregnancy.

The plane’s health staff gave initial care to the newborn and the crew captain decided to make an urgent landing at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport. The baby and his mother were then taken to Tu Du Obstetrics Hospital at 4:50 pm that day.

The boy suffered from serious respiratory failure as his lung could not operate normally due to the premature birth, said PhD. Dr Ngo Minh Xuan, head of the hospital’s Neonatology Department.

At that time, the baby’s father intended to hire a specialized aircraft with medical equipment to take his son back to the Philippines, but after consulting with Tu Du doctors, he decided to leave the baby in the hospital. 

Since being put on a respirator and given intensive care, the newborn has gradually recovered, and by August 30 he could breathe on his own, Dr Xuan said.