A viral video showing a pediatrician reviving a non-breathing newborn using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation has sparked intense debate among healthcare professionals, raising questions about clinical practice, safety, and preparedness at primary care facilities.
The clip, widely shared with captions praising the doctor’s quick thinking, claimed that the newborn had no movement at birth and began breathing only after several minutes of intervention.
However, according to a report by NDTV, the video dates back to March 2022 and has recently resurfaced online, reigniting discussion around neonatal resuscitation practices. The report identifies the doctor as Dr, Surekha Chaudhary, a pediatrician at a Community Health Centre in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
Notably, many users in the comment sections applauded the act as life-saving, often without awareness of the medical context or established neonatal resuscitation guidelines.
According to NDTV, the newborn baby girl was delivered through normal delivery but had difficulty breathing due to prolonged labour. There was no movement noted initially.
The doctor reportedly first attempted oxygen support, but when that did not help, she proceeded with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for approximately seven minutes, after which the baby began to show movement.
A follow-up clip shows the doctor stimulating the newborn by patting and massaging, after which the baby began to breathe.
The video, originally shared by a police officer from Uttar Pradesh, gained significant traction online, amassing over 1.3 million views and thousands of likes and shares, with many users praising the doctor’s efforts.
However, for clinicians trained in neonatal care, the situation raised immediate concerns.
These concerns were not merely about technique but about adherence to established neonatal resuscitation protocols.
Several doctors took to social media to question both the method and the setting.
Dr. Nehal Vaidya, Pediatrician, described the act as “absolutely shocking” pointing out the absence of essential equipment such as a bag-and-mask device, which is standard in any newborn care setup.
Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, Hepatologist, stated that while the intent may have been commendable, the technique was dangerous and not aligned with current neonatal resuscitation standards.
Dr. Vivek Bhati, Pediatrician emphasized that such a method is not recommended in recognized guidelines including those by NRP, WHO, IAP, NNF, and ILCOR, warning that it could endanger newborn lives.
Other clinicians also raised concerns about equipment availability and overall preparedness at the facility.
Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, MD (Neonatology), explained that the issue reflects systemic gaps rather than an isolated act:
“A Community Health Centre is expected to have all the necessary equipment and protocols for the Neonatal Resuscitation Program, which is a universal standard. This is not a remote or resource-limited setting where improvisation is the only option. CHCs are equipped for deliveries and inpatient care.
The use of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by a pediatrician in such a setting is unacceptable. It raises a critical question of why essential resuscitation equipment such as a self-inflating bag or a T-piece resuscitator was not available or not used.
In neonatal resuscitation, positive pressure ventilation must be delivered in a controlled manner. The tidal volume in a newborn is approximately 6 mL per kilogram, which can be accurately delivered using these devices. Mouth-to-mouth ventilation, however, delivers uncontrolled pressure and carries a real risk of lung injury, including pneumothorax.
Even with properly administered positive pressure ventilation or CPAP, pneumothorax can occur. This makes forceful, unregulated mouth-to-mouth ventilation even more dangerous.
There is also a risk of infection transmission. Overall, this incident points toward a systemic failure in preparedness and adherence to protocol rather than an example to be followed.”
Modern neonatal resuscitation protocols universally recommend a structured sequence:
Warm the baby
Dry and stimulate
Clear the airway if required
Initiate positive pressure ventilation (PPV) using a bag-and-mask device within the first minute if the baby is not breathing
Mouth-to-mouth ventilation is not recommended in clinical neonatal resuscitation settings.
Improper ventilation can:
Deliver excessive pressure
Cause lung injury including pneumothorax
Increase infection risk
In clinical settings, deviation from this protocol is not considered improvisation but a potential risk.
Notably, this incident occurred during a period when infection control practices were under heightened global focus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While there is no evidence linking this case to COVID-19 transmission, the use of unprotected mouth-to-mouth ventilation further underscores concerns about infection risk in clinical settings where barrier methods are standard.
See more: LUCAS Device: How the Mechanical CPR Machine Is Changing Emergency Resuscitation
The incident has shifted attention toward infrastructure and preparedness.
Under India’s Navjaat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (NSSK), all delivery points including Community Health Centres are expected to maintain:
Functional newborn resuscitation units
Bag-and-mask ventilation devices
Trained personnel
The absence or non-use of such equipment raises concerns about implementation of existing guidelines.
The baby’s survival is a positive outcome. However, widespread praise online highlights a gap between public perception and medical standards.
Without clinical context, potentially unsafe practices may be misinterpreted as appropriate care.
In an era where medical information spreads rapidly online, distinguishing between life-saving action and safe medical practice has never been more important.
World Health Organization, Guidelines on Basic Newborn Resuscitation (Geneva: WHO, 2012), https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241503693
Myra H. Wyckoff et al., “Neonatal Life Support: 2020 International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations,” Circulation (2020), https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000895
(MSM)