A 20-day-old baby girl has been found fighting for her life after being discovered buried alive in Uttar Pradesh, India. Hospital authorities report that the infant was located by a shepherd who heard faint cries while grazing his goats near a mound of earth.
Upon investigation, the shepherd saw a tiny hand protruding from the mud, prompting him to alert the villagers and subsequently the police, who unearthed the infant. The circumstances of her abandonment remain unclear, but similar cases are often attributed to societal preferences for male children, leading to skewed gender ratios.
The rescue took place in Shahjahanpur district, where the baby girl is presently receiving medical care in the neonatal intensive care unit of a government hospital. Dr. Rajesh Kumar, the medical college principal, described her critical condition upon arrival, noting that she was covered in dirt and struggling to breathe due to mud blocking her mouth and nostrils.
She was in a critical condition, showing signs of hypoxia and sustaining bites from insects and possibly animals, explained Dr. Kumar. The team of medical professionals is attempting to manage her infections while monitoring her fragile state.
Authorities have yet to identify the infant’s parents, and a child helpline has been notified about her situation. This troubling incident underscores a broader issue in India, where the societal bias towards male offspring has resulted in countless cases of foeticide and infanticide against female infants.
Despite a previous case in 2019 where a newborn girl was similarly abandoned yet survived after treatment, the overall situation remains dire. Campaigners continue to highlight the traditional preference for sons that leads to tragic outcomes for many female children.
