Baby born with no blood survives after therapy

Little Olivia Norton, born in Britain Chelmsford Hospital, has been hailed a miracle by doctors - after being born with no blood, The Telegraph reported.

Oliva, now six months, was born completely white because she had such a low count of haemoglobin - the chemical which carries oxygen in red blood cells - that it could not officially be classed as 'blood'.

She was given less than two hours to live but survived thanks to emergency transfusions which transformed her into a glowing healthy pink colour.

Mother Louise Bearman, 31, a barrister's clerk, told of her shock at giving birth to a "ghost white" baby whose condition was so rare she will now feature in medical text books.

They went to Broomfield Hospital, in Chelmsford, and when nurses failed to spot any movement after a 15 minute scan doctors ordered an emergency caesarean.

When Olivia was born she had haemoglobin levels of just three out of a normal level of 18, which meant the plasma in her blood could not be classified as proper blood.

The newborn was rushed to the hospital's special care baby unit where she was monitored for two weeks and had her strength and colour restored with two blood transfusions.

Neonatal nurse Sharon Pilgrim, yesterday (Mon) said in 20 years in the job she had never heard of such low haemoglobin levels.

She said: "It was a miracle she survived. She was incredibly pale when born and had difficulties breathing.

"There was no sign of blood loss prior to the caesarean or during the operation.

"It was only when we carried out further tests on Louise that we discovered the baby had lost blood directly into her mum's blood circulation."

Louise added: "The hospital staff were amazing and called Olivia the 'miracle baby' and said if I hadn't come in she would not have survived.

"Doctors still don't know why it happened, it is one of those freak things.

"I want mums to realise how important a baby's movement is in checking they are healthy. You have to trust your maternal instinct."