In a bizarre incident, a woman allegedly threw her one-month-old baby girl out of the infant care unit of the Government Hospital here causing the infant’s death on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old woman was arrested by the Ariyalur police and a case has been registered against her under Section 315 (act done with intent to prevent child being born alive or to cause it to die after birth) of the IPC on a complaint from one of the hospital nurses.
A resident of Sillakudi near here, the woman resorted to the extreme step distressed over the health of her child that was admitted to the infant care unit last month, according to police.
Police and Health Department officials said the woman gave birth to twins — both girls — at the Government Hospital on March 8. Both infants were underweight (below one kg), and one of them died a couple of days later.
The other baby was admitted to the neonatal infant care unit for treatment.
On Tuesday morning, a nurse handed over the baby to the mother for feeding and went to load medicine for another baby admitted in the same unit. Upon returning, the nurse found the woman without the baby and enquired with her.
As the woman feigned ignorance, the hospital staff immediately searched the unit and its vicinity. They found the baby lying dead in a pool of wastewater outside the unit.
The hospital authorities immediately informed the police who conducted inquiries with the woman. The woman confessed to the act. Her husband Deepan is said to be in Kerala.
Hospital sources said the duty doctor found the baby in good health even on Tuesday morning.
