Mom's bid to ward off mosquitoes lands 11-day-old infant in hospital

Noida: An 11-day-old girl was severely injured after her bed caught fire from cow dung cakes her mother had burnt to ward off mosquitoes, officials said on Tuesday.

The police ruled out the involvement of the family in the incident. “The woman had given birth to this girl 11 days ago and they were at their home in Baraula. In a bid to keep mosquitoes away from her child, the woman used some kerosene oil and burnt cow dung cakes. During the process, the child’s bed caught fire and she got burnt,” Circle Officer Noida 3rd Vimal Kumar Singh said.

“The child has been referred to the Safdarjung hospital in Delhi where she is undergoing treatment,” Singh added.

On reports that the family tried to burn the child, the circle officer said the police have questioned the family and found such insinuations baseless.

“We spoke to the mother also. She has some mental health issues but these reports of deliberately hurting the child are not true,” he said.

Use of cow dung cakes as fuel is a traditional method in many parts of rural India. However, burningof dungcakes causes serious health problems. According to health experts, the smoke released in the burning process contains hazardous gases.