Paediatric cardiologists at Chris Hani-Baragwanath hospital will today announce what will happen to Ashleigh Louw.

Paediatric cardiologists at Chris Hani-Baragwanath hospital will today announce what will happen to Ashleigh Louw.

Baby Ashleigh was born with her heart outside her body and the chest wall a week ago. She has been kept in the high care unit since while doctors decide of what corrective procedure would be done on her.

The hospital issued a statement saying that a meeting with the cardiothoracic surgeon and other specialists was convened to map out future treatment plan for Ashleigh which will be determined by the complexity of the underlying cardiac lesions.

"Once the decision is made, we will inform the family first," said Professor Sithembiso Velaphi, head of Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital's neo-natal unit.

"The baby is in a high care neo-natal unit and is only on an oxygen machine. Reports that she was on life support machines are not true.

She is sick but not critical. She is stable and only requires oxygen at this time," he said. - Zinhle Mapumulo and Sapa