Baby born with multiple deformities dies

It died of suspected starvation on Thursday night after its mother had rejected it on Tuesday.  The 34- year-old woman, only identified as Margaret delivered the baby which had no mouth, anus and limbs but only a small head which resulted in an exposed brain.

The hospital, which is the referral hospital for Mberengwa district has been keeping the baby at the institution.

“It was a miracle that it (the baby) managed to survive for two days without being fed since its birth on Tuesday morning. No one expected it to last that long and it was a touching moment and very painful experience for Mnene staff and some of us who witnessed and watched helplessly as the baby exhibited a brave fight for life for two days before succumbing to starvation on Thursday night,” said the official.

The official said the incident was now the talk of the community with many touched by the incident which the official said was the first of its kind at the institution.

Midlands provincial medical director, Dr Milton Chemhuru confirmed the death.

“As I mentioned earlier that this baby was being kept at the institution as a terminal patient, it was expected that it would die owing to the condition. The baby could not be fed because of the cleft palate challenges, could not excrete and was microcephalic and there was no way it could survive,” he said.

Dr Chemhuru said the baby would be incinerated after its parents and relatives rejected it.

“There is an African way of burying new born babies but since the parents of this baby rejected it after learning of its condition, the hospital will have to burn it in the incinerator,” he said.

There was commotion at Mnene Mission Hospital on Tuesday when nurses and other officials chased after the baby’s mother after she bolted out of the labour ward on learning of her newborn baby’s condition. The hospital later tried to engage the baby’s relatives and its father but they all rejected it.

The baby according to Dr Chemuru had multiple deformities which included microcephalic, (small head), imperforated anus, cleft palate (mouth) and exposed brain.