In-Flight Breech Delivery in Finnish Lapland

Abstract

Although medical crews may initially approach obstetric transport requests with (at least internal) trepidation, it has been shown that the risk of an in-flight delivery occurring is extremely low, even among patients considered high risk.1–4 Nevertheless, the greatest concern of helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) personnel remains the potential for in-flight delivery.5Finland is a Northern European country, with a land area almost equivalent to that of the US state of New Mexico. The Finnish HEMS system is managed by FinnHEMS, and there are 6 HEMS units in Finland. The northernmost HEMS unit, FinnHEMS 51, is based at Rovaniemi Airport in Finnish Lapland, which is located within the Arctic Circle; it operates over a remote and sparsely habited area. Finnish Lapland accounts for almost 30% of Finland by area; however, the density of population is low (only 2.0 persons per square kilometer), and the average annual year-round temperature is only —1°C (30°F).6 So far, there has been only 1 reported in-flight delivery; in 1939, a baby girl was born in an airplane operated by the Finnish Border Guard.7