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Baby born aboard US Navy aircraft carrier

Mother and daughter doing well; unclear if sailor knew she was pregnant, but she never reported it to superiors

Illustrative photo of newborn babies in an Israeli hospital nursery. (Chen Leopold/Flash90)
Illustrative photo of newborn babies in an Israeli hospital nursery. (Chen Leopold/Flash90)

NORFOLK, Virginia — The US Navy says a sailor who never reported being pregnant has given birth to a baby girl aboard an aircraft carrier at sea.

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command spokesman Cmdr. Bill Urban told the Virginian-Pilot the 7-pound (3.1-kilogram) infant was recently born on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Persian Gulf. Both mother and daughter are doing well and were airlifted to a shore-based hospital.

Urban says the command chain wasn’t aware of the pregnancy. The Navy requires expectant mothers to self-report a pregnancy within two weeks of receiving doctor’s confirmation. Expectant mothers are allowed to remain on ship up to their 20th week of pregnancy.

It wasn’t clear Monday whether the sailor, who had complained of abdominal pains before giving birth, knew she was pregnant.

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