Police have arrested a couple whose 10-month baby had 13 needles in her body. Thika police boss Willy Simba said the infant may have been subjected to physical abuse.
The two are likely to appear in court today to answer charges related to child abuse. The mother, Jacinta Ndunge, said while bathing the baby at their Kiganjo home last week, was pricked by a sharp object, which turned out to be a needle embedded in her posterior. She took the child to Thika Level 5 Hospital where an X-ray revealed that she had 13 needles in her backside.
Doctors have successfully removed 12 of the needles, one of them, which was lodged deep inside the infant’s hip bone could not be touched as doctors say it could injure the child’s nerves and blood vessels.
Kiambu county Health chief officer Dr Andrew Toro said they were organising to refer the child to Kenyatta National Hospital for more checkup. Ndunge yesterday recorded a statement at the Thika Police Station as investigations into the bizarre incident commenced.
The baby who was discharged on Monday from hospital, was rescued by Thika sub-county Children’s department officers and taken to Macheo Children’s Home. Children’s officer Rebecca Kariuki said the case was reported to their offices three weeks ago but they delayed to arrest the parents until the baby was treated.
“The mother is the only one who can give us information and because she is not ready to talk then we are taking the child,” said Kariuki Ndunge however, insists that she is clueless on how the needles got into her baby’s body.