On the road again

A woman in northern Portugal has given birth for the second time while being driven to a hospital delivery room, a daily newspaper reports.

The Jornal de Noticias says Maria Duarte, 35, was on her way to a hospital in the city of Vila Real, some 400 kilometres north-east of Lisbon, when she went into labour in an emergency services vehicle.

The vehicle parked on the side of the highway and she then gave birth to a healthy 2.5 kilogram girl with the aid of a doctor, nurse and two young volunteer firefighters who were accompanying her.

"I was afraid she would die. I was even afraid to push," Ms Duarte told the newspaper.

She says that her 10-year-old daughter, Silvia, was born prematurely under similar circumstances.

"I was leaving my home village in my brother's car and she was born, there was no time for anything," she said.