Pregnant Woman Gives Birth Mid-Flight, Welcoming Baby 2 Months Early

 An expectant mom prematurely gave birth to her baby while on a flight from West Africa to Italy.

The surprise delivery occurred around an hour after flight AZ855 departed from Senegal's capital, Dakar, heading towards Rome Fiumicino Airport on Wednesday, April 29, ITA Airways confirmed in an Instagram post.

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“A joyful and unexpected event brightened the day of ITA Airways," the airline wrote. "On flight AZ855, which departed from Dakar last night and was headed to Rome Fiumicino, about an hour after takeoff, a woman who was seven months pregnant prematurely gave birth to a baby."

The mother and newborn received “immediate assistance” from the crew and two passengers — a doctor and nurse — to safely deliver the baby, said ITA Airways.

The airline shared a selection of photos of the mother holding her newborn in what appeared to be a private section of the plane, while surrounded by smiling crew members.

“The baby, in perfect health, is the first child ever born on board an ITA Airways aircraft. The airline wishes him a wonderful life full of joy,” added ITA Airways. The woman and baby have not been publicly identified.

The plane was travelling between Western Sahara and Mauritania when it made a sharp U-turn, the U.K. outlet Metro reported, citing the plane tracking website Flightradar24.

“I was asleep, but when they asked if a doctor was available, I immediately thought someone had fallen ill,” passenger Sandro Pisu told the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero. “It was all very confusing; the news came in fragments. We couldn’t believe a woman had given birth.”

The news comes after a woman delivered her baby on a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Portland, Ore., on April 24.

The woman, referred to as Ashley, went into labor on flight 478 heading to Portland International Airport from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, KOIN and KATU reported.

The plane was forced to make an emergency landing, but the woman gave birth around 30 minutes before arriving in Portland at around 10 p.m. local time.

The baby was delivered by two emergency medical technicians who were on board the plane, along with flight attendants and crew members, according to the outlets.