Baby Chahat, who gained 20 kg in nine months, needs to undergo a gene test that can reveal the cause of her abnormal weight gain. Video grab
Amritsar-born baby girl Chahat, who gained 20 kg in just nine months, is counting on charity for her weight loss treatment at this tender age. Chahat needs to undergo a gene test that can pinpoint the cause and nature of her abnormal weight gain phenomenon. Her blood samples for gene test need to be sent to a laboratory in Bengaluru, said sources. The cost of one test has been estimated at around Rs 70,000.
Doctors at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh said that Chahat’s uncle, who is suffering from obesity, also has to undergo a similar test to corroborate the findings, which will double the cost of the test. Chahat’s parents are daily wage earners. Her father Suraj, who works as a help with a cable operator, earns about Rs 200 daily.
Chahat was under treatment at PGIMER for some days. While her routine tests were normal, senior doctors recommended the gene test for further diagnosis and treatment. Chahat’s mother Renu said she never thought that a single test would be so expensive. The parents say the gene test for Chahat and her uncle will cost them around Rs 1.5 lakh, which they cannot afford.
According to doctors, a normal nine-month-old baby should weigh around 8 kg, and Chahat is more than double the weight of babies at her age. The alarming part is that the reason for her weight gain has to be detected as soon as possible to avoid any additional weight gain and further abnormalities in child growth.