Burning' baby may be a victim of abuse, say docs

Jan 20 2015 : The Times of India (Chennai)

`Burning' baby may be a victim of abuse, say docs

Janani Sampath1

Chennai:





The curious case of the `burning baby' is slowly losing its mystery and turning into a case of suspected child abuse. The 10-day-old boy , born to a Villupuram-based couple, was brought to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital with 5% burn injuries on his feet and thigh after he allegedly caught fire on his own. Curiously enough, his elder brother was also treated in the hospital two years ago with claims of `spontaneous human combustion,' a theory many medical experts believe is bogus.

The hospital has formed a committee to figure out what is causing the newborn to “go up in flames,“ as his parents claim. Doctors who treated his brother Rahul said the children could have been physically abused, probably as part of a superstition. They say it's time police took a closer look at the case.

Dr Jagan Mohan, who treated Rahul at KMCH last year, said, “There is no such thing as spontaneous human combustion. When Rahul was admitted to the hospital last year we clearly told the parents that it looked like someone was deliberately setting the infant on fire.“

A doctor at KMCH, who is treating the baby , said the case looked suspicious as the boy had shown no sign of “spontaneously combusting“ since he was brought to the hospital on Saturday . “We are unable to ascertain what caused the burns, because once a flammable substance like alcohol, kerosene or petrol is used to set fire to someone and later cleaned up, it wouldn't show,“ said the doctor. He also said forensic experts should visit the child's home to check if there was any evidence of flammable substances on the bed or on the child's clothes.

Dr Jagan Mohan said Rahul's case could not be solved as the alleged incidents of combustion happened only when the infant was left alone.“We counselled the mother and asked her to keep an eye on the baby at all times. Since the last visit to the hospital their older son has been fine and has not suffered any burns since then,“ he said. “It looks like whoever was abusing the elder child is back at work again.“

KMCH Dean Dr Gunasekaran, who is heading the committee, said that apart from sending samples of blood, sweat and urine for analysis, the doctors have conducted a detailed investigation on the baby and found nothing abnormal in his physiological composition. “There is nothing to prove the theory of spontaneous combustion,“ he said.

Child rights group demands probe

Chennai: The Legal Resource Center for Child Rights (LRCCR) has demanded a probe into the case of the baby from Tindivanam who reportedly caught fire spontaneously. Child rights activist Shanmuga Velayutham said it was a clear case of abuse and the family of the infant may be doing it to get sympathy and benefits from the government. “When the couple Rajeshwari and Karna complained that their first child was suffering from this rare condition, the government had given the family a house under the solar powered green house scheme and also offered financial assistance. This is their latest ruse,“ he said. Velayutham further said that the national commission for protection of child rights should look into the case of the infant and ensure that the culprits are brought to book. “Doctors at the government hospital in Villupuram and in Kilpauk Medical College Hospital have performed several tests on the baby to find out what is causing the fire. So far all the test results are normal pointing to an external factor at play,“ he said. TNN