Found abandoned near nullah in bitter cold, newborn girl dies in MP hospital

Barwani (MP), Nov 20 (PTI) A newborn girl was found abandoned near a nullah in the bitter cold in Madhya Pradesh's Barwani district, and died during treatment at a hospital hours later on Thursday, officials said.

A passerby found the infant in Chikhliya Malan village, about 30 kilometers from the district headquarters, on Wednesday night, they said.

The passerby heard the cries of a newborn baby and later found her in the bushes near a nullah. The child was found covered in a thin scarf-like cloth in the bitter cold, the officials said.

After the police were informed, the baby was first taken to a primary health centre, from where she was transferred to the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) at the district hospital, they said.

Talking to reporters, Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Surekha Jamre said, "The baby was born prematurely and weighed less than the normal newborns. Her condition deteriorated after being in the cold for several hours under the open sky." Despite all efforts, doctors could not save the baby and her body was sent for a post-mortem.

"Prima facie, it appears that the baby died due to hypothermia (body temperature dropping significantly below normal). However, this can only be confirmed by the postmortem report," Jamre said.

Silawad police station in-charge Veer Bahadur Singh Chauhan said that a case has been registered against an unidentified person under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for abandoning the newborn baby, and investigation is underway. PTI COR HWP MAS NP