Pictured: The baby born at 38,000ft after his heavily pregnant teen mom was allowed on New York flight because her baggy clothes disguised her baby bump

• Fatoumatta Kaba gave birth to her son on flight from South Africa to JFK
• South African Airways said staff couldn't tell she was pregnant because she was wearing baggy clothes
  
• Teenager and boy doing well in hospital and says 'I wasn't scared'
• Doctor who happened to be on flight took charge and delivered baby
• Dr Julie Williamson was on way back from medical conference
  
• Baby will not be an American citizen because he was born outside of US airspace
  

By Daily Mail Reporter and Helen Pow

PUBLISHED: 05:13 EST, 11 March 2013 | UPDATED: 05:36 EST, 12 March 2013

A teenager who gave birth to a baby boy on a plane at 38,000ft was allowed to board because airline staff couldn't see she was pregnant under her baggy clothes.

Fatoumatta Kaba, 17, went into labor four hours into a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg to New York's John F. Kennedy airport on Saturday and 'in two pushes' delivered her son Mamel Joella with the help of an American doctor who happened to be on the flight.

But the airline said staff had no idea Ms Kaba was even expecting when they let her get on the aircraft, adding that South African Airways policy bans pregnant woman from flying internationally after 35 weeks.

'(Ms Kaba) was dressed in such a manner that on plain view there was no way you could have detected that she was pregnant,' spokesman Tlali Tlali told MailOnline.

Born in the sky: Dr Julie Williamson was on her way home from a medical conference in South Africa when she helped Fatoumatta Kaba, 17, pictured right, deliver baby Mamel Joella, left

Meanwhile, the doctor who delivered the teen's baby mid-flight has described the moment she saw his tiny head appear.

Dr Julie Williamson said the young mom delivered her little boy 'in two pushes' before sitting back in her seat for the remainder of the flight.

Dr Williamson was on her way home from a medical conference in South Africa when Ms Kaba went into labor four hours after take off.

As the passengers panicked, Ms Kaba just quietly got on with delivering baby Mamel Joella, the medic said.

She told the Daily News: 'While there was a lot of discussion whether to divert the flight, she made the decision for us by saying, ''Push!'' And when we checked, the baby was crowning, and she delivered him in two pushes.'

Flight drama: A teenage girl gave birth to a baby boy on board a plane flying from Johannesburg to JFK in New York on Saturday night as crew and doctors on board rushed to help

South African Airways said the surprise in-flight deliver ended well in Ms Kaba's case but she may not have been so lucky, which is why passenger are required to inform the airline if they are in the late stages of pregnancy.

'The primary responsibility rests with the passenger to inform the airline of any medical condition,' Tlali said. 'If they do not they risk exposing themselves to danger and their unborn baby to danger particularly as there can be all sorts of complications with childbirth.'

The carrier said it was not planning to overhaul any policies to ensure a woman who is more than 35 weeks does not get on a flight undetected again.

'There is no way that we could identify passengers we believe could be pregnant. Screening them would amount to harassment,' Tlali told MailOnline. 'No airline in the world would do that.'

'If someone is pregnant they are required to be checked by a medical practitioner of their choice and show us proof that the doctor has given them approval to fly.'

Daddy: Kaba, pictured left, plans to stay with family for a few weeks after being discharged from hospital, and will then return to Africa to rejoin her husband, 38-year-old Gambian diplomat Abubakary Jawara, pictured right

Quick: Memel, pictured left and right, was delivered in just two pushes Dr Williamson said

Thankfully, Ms Kaba and little Mamel are now doing well in hospital - and the brave teenager insists that giving birth at 38,000ft was no ordeal.

Ms Kaba the Daily News yesterday: 'I wasn't scared to have the baby, I was very happy. I feel better now after delivering the baby. Everything's OK.'

She plans to stay with family for a few weeks after being discharged from hospital, and will then return to Africa to rejoin her husband, 38-year-old Gambian diplomat Abubakary Jawara.

She told the newspaper she would never have thought she would become the center of so much attention after the Saturday drama.

'I just expected to come here and be happy and visit my family and then go back to my husband,' she said.

When the young woman went into labor, the crew asked over the loudspeaker if a doctor was on board.

To the rescue: Doctors Julie Williamson and Steve Paridon helped the teenager through her quick delivery

Luckily for Ms Kaba, who is originally from Angola, Dr Williamson, a pediatric anesthesiologist, was on her way home to California from a medical conference in South Africa, along with Dr Steve Paridon.

It was a nerve-wracking experience for Dr Williamson -  the mother of two had not delivered a baby since she was in medical school 15 years ago.

Passengers were amazed that the young girl barely uttered a sound during the quick delivery four hours into the 14 hour flight. 

Her newborn son was immediately wrapped in blankets and rocked by airline crew as they walked up and down the aisles.

Carrier: Staff on the South African Airways, pictured, flight didn't know Ms Kaba was expecting

South African airways had considered diverting the flight, but once it became clear the pair were okay they continued to their destination, with Ms Kaba returning to her seat for the rest of the journey

South African airways had considered diverting the flight, but once it became clear the pair were okay they continued to their destination, with Ms Kaba returning to her seat for the rest of the journey.

Once they touched down, mother and baby were taken to Jamaica Medical Center in Queens to be checked over after their arrival in the U.S.

Ms Kaba's sister-in-law met them at the airport and traveled with them to hospital where they were listed as healthy.

Mamel will not be an American citizen because the flight was not in U.S. airspace when his mother gave birth.