Boy born to teen rape survivor, passes away
The baby was healthy initially but his health started deteriorating as he was born prematurely.
Mumbai: The baby boy born to the 13-year-old rape survivor, who was allowed by the apex court to terminate her pregnancy while she was in her 32rd week, died around 10.30 am on Sunday. The infant was delivered on Friday afternoon via C-section.
A senior doctor of the state-run JJ Hospital said the babyweighed 1.8kg. His organs were not fully developed and were facing difficulty in breathing, the doctor said. The post-mortem report, which is due in two days, will ascertain the cause of death, he added.
The baby was healthy initially but his health started deteriorating as he was born prematurely. “It is possible that his chest and brain were bleeding internally, but we will know only after a post-mortem,” said a senior doctor.
The boy was born at JJ Hospital on Friday and was kept in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). As the baby was suffering from breathing difficulties, he was shifted from an oxygen machine to a ventilator the following day. He condition, however, was worsened since 4 am on Sunday.
The girl is recovering from the caesarean surgery. "She had a slight fever. As her health improves, she will be discharged within a week," said gynaecologist Dr. Ashok Anand.
The teen's pregnancy came to light on August 9 when she was 27 weeks pregnant; her mother took her to a local doctor to understand the cause of her sudden weight gain. Later, the apex court allowed her to terminate her pregnancy in the wake of a report that stated that terminating the pregnancy at the 32nd week would involve similar risk to the expecting mother and child. The medical board mentioned that at that stage of the pregnancy, the foetus was likely to be born alive. The preterm baby may also suffer complications and will require neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the report stated.
The 13-year-old's family resides in a northern suburb. The child is staying with her parents. The 23-year-old accused lived with the victim's family in Charkop and is suspected to have raped the minor on multiple occasions. He is presently in jail.