Another Baby With Brain Defect Is on Life Support

Baby Evelyn, missing most of her brain when she was born, was on life-support systems late Sunday at Loma Linda University Medical Center while doctors waited to see if her organs might be transplanted into other babies.

If the infant, born early Saturday in San Antonio, is declared legally brain-dead and one or more of her organs is successfully transplanted, it will be the first time a controversial procedure has been used involving an anencephalic baby born in the United States.

Hospital officials said Evelyn was “resting comfortably.” The infant showed some signs of brain-stem deterioration, but had not met all the criteria for total brain death.

A baby must be declared legally brain-dead before any transplant can occur. In addition, an infant needing an organ must be found within seven days, the limit hospital officials have set to keep Evelyn on life-support systems.

“We don’t want to prolong the dying process beyond a reasonable time,” said hospital spokeswoman Anita Rockwell.

Liver Evaluated

Rockwell said that the infant’s heart appeared to be normal and that doctors were evaluating the condition of her liver.

The baby’s arrival Saturday at Loma Linda came hours after another baby born with the same fatal defect was declared dead after a worldwide search failed to find recipients for his heart or liver.

John, like Evelyn, was born with only a brain stem. He was declared brain-dead Thursday, two days after his birth, but had been kept alive on a respirator as doctors searched for infants needing a heart or liver.

Rockwell said the baby’s heart valves were harvested, but his corneas were abnormal and not able to be used, she said.