Mum refuses to feed deformed baby, family wants to dump it in forest
A woman in Mombasa County has given birth to a baby girl who has a deformed nose and no eyes.
The residents of Mireroni village, Jomvu and the woman’s family members now want the baby to be dumped at a nearby forest in accordance to Mijikenda traditions.
The woman’s uncle, Hassan Dzuya told journalists that the baby is a bad omen and may bring calamities to the family. He said the woman has afraid to feed the newborn since giving birth at dawn on Sunday.
“She (the baby) has not eaten anything since she was born. Every part of her body is okay apart from her eyes and nostrils which have abnormalities. The woman was helped by her mother to give birth ,” said Mr Dzuya.
TURNED AWAY
The woman gave birth at home after she was turned away in different public hospitals in Kilifi and Mombasa counties due to the ongoing nationwide nurse’s strike.
“Everyone is scared of the baby. They think it’s bad omen. In our traditions, when such a child is born in a family, we normally take it to a secluded sacred place and leave it to the gods to deal with it,” said Mr Dzuya.
He said he rushed woman and her baby to Port Reitz District Hospital for medical attention after delivery but they were turned away due to the nurses’ strike.
“We wanted to take the child to Coast Provincial General hospital as instructed by doctors from Port Reitz but we don’t have the means. We have gone to several private and public hospitals but none has helped us,” he said.
POSSIBLE PROSECUTION
The idea of dumping the baby in the forest is however not completely embraced for fear of possible prosecution.
“We want the government to give us directions. We are scared we might be arrested if we throw the baby in the forest. We want the government to give us permission to conduct the Mijikenda rituals, “he added.
The devastated woman was at a loss to say anything concerning her last born baby.
Anophthalmia is a condition in which one or both eyes do not form during pregnancy. It can be diagnosed during a prenatal ultrasound.
