This is something you don’t hear about every day.
The parents of a 3-month-old Indian baby were given a scare after their son experienced spontaneous combustion – a medical phenomenon that is still debated among scientists. But this wasn’t the first time the baby burst into flames – the parents have taken the infant to a hospital for treatment for the same thing at least four times since birth.
The parents were driven out of their old village since neighbors feared that their baby would cause their homes to catch on fire. They moved once more with the help of authorities before moving into Chennai to have their baby treated at a hospital there.
Brian J. Ford, a British biologist who wrote an article about this condition, stated:
“There have been a few cases where people have suffered S.H.C. and have swatted the flames out, leading to their complete recovery,” said Mr. Ford in an e-mail to the New York Times. “In most examples it is fatal, as the cases are found after the event. Typically, there is just a pile of ash with protruding extremities.”
Tests were later conducted to reveal if the baby does in fact have spontaneous human combustion. Yesterday when tests were completed, there were no findings that the baby had this disorder.
Doctors at Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital (KMCH) conducted all possible tests, including a chromosome test, gene analysis and skin biopsy, to figure out if Rahul could actually ‘catch fire’ on his own.
The doctors had even invited a team from Sastra University to check if the boy’s skin emitted inflammable gases, but were left with no evidence of spontaneous human combustion. The only possibilities that remain are that the baby was burnt in an accident or was abused.
“I still stand by what I said, that there is no such thing as spontaneous human combustion. The possibility of child abuse exists and needs to be explored,” stated the head of the burns department at KMCH. Dr J Jagan Mohan.
However, the child’s parents are professing their innocence:
“We’re not crazy to burn our own baby,” Karnan Perumal, the baby’s dad declared to the New York Times. “Some people don’t believe us, and I am scared to return to my village and am hoping for some government protection. There is also the fear that our child could burn once again.”
We hope this little boy recovers swiftly.
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