A newborn baby in Brazil gained attention after being photographed holding a T-shaped intrauterine device (IUD) immediately after birth—this device was originally placed in the mother as a contraceptive measure that failed to prevent pregnancy.
The baby boy, named Matheus Gabriel, was delivered at Hospital Sagrado Coração de Jesus in Nerópolis, in the state of Goiás. His mother, Queidy Araujo de Oliveira, had used a copper IUD for about two years before discovering she was pregnant.
During prenatal care, doctors found that the IUD remained inside her uterus. Removing it was judged risky for the pregnancy, so it remained in place until delivery. The pregnancy was not without complications: Queidy experienced bleeding and partial detachment of the device.
At birth, the attending physician, Dr. Natalia Rodrigues, placed the IUD in Matheus’s hand and later posted images of the moment on social media with the caption “Holding my victory trophy: the IUD that couldn’t handle me!” According to published reports, both mother and baby left the hospital in stable condition.
In addition to the Brazilian case, a similar instance was reported earlier in 2020 at Vietnam. In that instance, a baby was photographed holding his mother’s IUD soon after birth. Obstetrician Tran Viet Phuong—of Hai Phong International Hospital—said the device emerged from the uterus during delivery, after which hospital staff placed it into the infant’s hand for the photo. The mother had had the device inserted two years earlier, but later discovered she had become pregnant despite it.
An intrauterine device is a small, typically T-shaped contraceptive device placed inside the uterus. Copper IUDs disrupt sperm motility, create a local inflammatory environment, and reduce the likelihood of fertilization or implantation. They are considered highly effective, with failure rates quoted under 1 percent per year in standard practice.
Nevertheless, IUDs can fail. Known failure mechanisms include displacement of the device (moving from its intended position), partial or full expulsion, or malpositioning that reduces its effectiveness. In rare cases, pregnancies do occur with the IUD in situ. In these situations, clinicians must weigh the risks of removing the device late in pregnancy against leaving it until delivery.
These documented cases illustrate that although intrauterine devices are among the most effective contraceptive methods, rare failures do occur. Users and providers should monitor placement (for example via imaging), watch for warning symptoms (e.g. pain, abnormal bleeding, changes in device position), and maintain realistic understanding of method efficacy.
Medical experts also note that in all known cases where pregnancy occurs with an IUD in place, it is not physically possible for the baby to emerge from the womb already holding the device. In earlier cases where photographs appeared to show a newborn holding the IUD, fact-checking has shown that the device was placed in the infant’s hand after birth.
(Rh/Eth/MSM)