A premature baby died on Thursday, August 20, after an obstetrician injured the newborn's head with a scalpel during a cesarean section at the Hospital das Clínicas of the University of São Paulo's medical school (USP) in Ribeirão Preto, in the interior of São Paulo state. The case was first reported by Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, which obtained a military police incident report on the case.

According to the police report, the infant was injured on August 18 during delivery and underwent additional medical procedures, including treatment by a neurosurgeon. Despite the intervention, the newborn suffered bleeding in the skull and died two days later. The baby's mother, a resident of the nearby town of Serrana, is said to be in stable condition, according to the report.

Brazil's Civil Police is investigating the newborn's death. The case was filed with the Judicial Police Center in Ribeirão Preto and forwarded to the city's 3rd Police District, which is handling the inquiry. São Paulo's Public Security Secretariat said investigative details would be kept confidential to avoid compromising the probe.

Contacted by Folha, the Ribeirão Preto teaching hospital, known as Hospital das Clínicas, did not disclose details about how the injury occurred but confirmed it had opened an internal review of the case. The hospital said it considers a "technical, impartial and thorough analysis" necessary, adding that it wants to avoid "premature conclusions."

"The committee will evaluate all elements related to the care provided, including the circumstances of the delivery, the fetus's clinical condition, the context of prematurity and the urgency of the procedure. At the same time, the hospital will provide all information requested by the relevant authorities who may also investigate the case," the hospital said in a statement.

The Hospital das Clínicas in Ribeirão Preto is one of the largest hospital complexes linked to USP and a regional reference center for high-complexity care. Brazilian public university hospitals like this one commonly serve as teaching facilities where medical residents train under supervision. The case remains under investigation by both police and the hospital's internal committee, and there is no public information so far on whether the obstetrician involved has been removed from duties.