Tamil Nadu Woman Dies After Family's Wish For 'Natural Birth' At Home

A 32-year-old woman died due to excessive blood loss after delivering her second child at home in Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur district, with investigators probing whether the family relied on advice from YouTube videos in an attempt to ensure a "natural childbirth" instead of institutional medical care.The woman, identified as Sasikala from a village in Tiruppur district, delivered a healthy baby. However, she developed serious complications after childbirth and could not be saved despite being shifted to hospitals for treatment.According to investigators, Sasikala had undergone a Caesarean section (C-section) during her first pregnancy and had since developed an aversion to allopathic medicine. Police suspect that the family wanted to avoid another C-section and instead opted for a natural delivery after following information available on YouTube."The family wanted to give birth in a natural way and hence they did not follow up with government healthcare teams for periodic check-ups and monitoring. We are investigating," a police officer told NDTV.After the delivery, Sasikala reportedly developed complications related to the placenta and suffered severe bleeding. She was initially taken to the Government Erode Medical College Hospital at Perundurai and was later shifted to a private hospital, where she died despite treatment.The newborn baby is reported to be healthy.Although the family has not lodged a complaint, police have registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against Sasikala's husband, Kolanthaisamy. Sections of the National Medical Commission Act have also been invoked in connection with the case. No arrests have been made so far.Police are examining the circumstances leading to the delivery, including the role of unverified online medical advice and whether any unauthorised persons were involved in assisting the childbirth.The Health Department has also launched a parallel inquiry into the incident, including whether the family skipped mandatory antenatal check-ups and ignored repeated advice from public health workers.