Baby born in a taxi on the way to Sharjah hospital

The healthy boy was born shortly before arriving at Medcare Hospital

Sharjah, United Arab Emirates - February 9th, 2018: Traffic in Sharjah on the 311. Friday, February 9th, 2018. Sharjah. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A woman had a baby in the back seat of a taxi on the way to hospital.

The healthy boy, weighing 2.6 kilograms, was born shortly before arriving at Medcare Hospital, Sharjah, where he received care.

Mother and son have now been discharged.

Medics were alerted by the taxi driver, who sounded his horn on arriving at the hospital in King Faisal Street.

Nurses ran to the car to help mother and child.

Doctors cut the umbilical cord, wrapped the infant in blankets and the mother and baby were admitted. Doctors declined to give further details.

"We counsel expectant mothers to be fully aware of all possible scenarios and the ability to deal with any unusual event before they reach the hospital," said Dr Kishan Pakkal, chief operating officer of Medcare Hospital Sharjah.

Births outside a hospital setting are rare, and can be dangerous if medical care is not available to the mother and child should any complications arise.

Medcare doctors said it was the first time they had recorded a delivery in a taxi.

Such deliveries are recorded as born before arrival, and occur more commonly in the case of preterm babies.

Health professionals recommend women head to the hospital to deliver when their water breaks or when contractions become regular at four or five minutes apart for more than an hour.

“It is important to keep calm in these emergency situations,” Dr Pakkal said.