Baby found moving in coffin at her funeral, declared dead again at hospital

The baby's heart stopped once again after being rushed back to the hospital. (Representational)

An eight-month-old baby girl in Brazil was rushed to the hospital from her own funeral after mourners noticed her hand moving in her coffin. The infant, identified as Kiara Crislayne de Moura dos Santos, was initially declared dead on October 19, only to be found breathing hours later during her funeral, sparking an investigation into potential medical negligence.

Kiara was pronounced dead in the early hours at the Faustino Riscarolli Hospital Foundation in Correia Pinto, located in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. Her body was collected just two hours later by funeral director Aureo Arruda Ramos, as preparations were underway for a funeral service later that day.

According to local media reports, the grieving parents brought a set of clothes for their daughter, and the funeral began at 7 pm, just 16 hours after her death was officially confirmed. But the mourning ceremony took a startling turn when attendees noticed movement.

When someone touched her fingers, the baby gripped them tightly, one of the shocked mourners local news media. A nearby pharmacist quickly checked the baby and confirmed she was still breathing.

Paramedics were called immediately and found that Kiara had a pulse and an oxygen saturation level of 84 percent, a reading that typically necessitates critical medical intervention. Even more alarmingly, they found no signs of rigor mortis—a process that usually sets in within six to eight hours post-death. Despite the signs of life, Kiara's heart stopped once again after being rushed back to the hospital, where doctors declared her dead for a second time.

Her father, Cristiano Santos, shared the family's heartbreak: "We were devastated already. Then there came a little bit of hope, but then this ended up happening."

Brazilian authorities have launched a formal investigation, with the country’s Scientific Police leading the inquiry. The hospital, now at the centre of the controversy, acknowledged that the child had been wrongly declared dead and later reconfirmed the death once more. Local authorities are also looking into how such a grievous error could have occurred.

Correia Pinto’s City Hall has apologised to the family, issuing a statement promising a thorough probe into the hospital’s actions. A full report on the incident is expected within 30 days.