Brain dead woman gives birth to "miracle baby" before life support is switched off

A pregnant woman who was brain dead was placed on life support long enough to deliver her baby boy before the life support was switched off.

Catarina Sequeira, 26, an international sportswoman, suffered an acute asthma attack while she was 19 weeks pregnant. She was tragically declared brain dead in December. But doctors kept the Canoeist alive long enough so she can deliver her "miracle baby"

She gave birth at almost 32 weeks pregnant. The baby boy, named Salvador, was born via Caesarean section on Thursday - a day earlier than intended - because Catarina's respiratory condition was deteriorating, the BBC reports.

Catarina was a talented canoeist who had represented her country in the sport, but she had suffered asthma since she was a child.

For 56 days she was in an induced coma, kept alive via a ventilator to allow her baby to survive in her womb, according to reports.

Baby Salvador, born healthy and well at 3.75lbs, is being cared for in a neonatal hospital for at least the next three weeks, local reports say.

Portugese newspaper CM Jornal spoke with Salvador's dad, who called the child his "miracle baby".

"The baby is good. I ask you to respect my silence," Bruno Sapolo reportedly said.