After being born with a genetic disorder, Waardenburg Syndrome, and abandoned by her mother, a one-and-a-half month-old baby has now found a new home. District officials have handed over the baby to an NGO home based in Tirupattur.
It was on April 8 that the baby was born at the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital (GVMCH), Adukkamparai.
She was born with Waardenburg Syndrome that is characterised by absence of melanocytes and congenital deafness, according to E. Theranirajan, head, Paediatrics, GVMCH.
One in 45,000
“She had grey hair, facial dysmorphism and congenital deafness. Waardenburg Syndrome occurs in one in 45,000 babies globally. The mother and child were discharged from the hospital on April 14,” he said.
The baby had thick tongue and lower incisor teeth were erupting.
However, on May 15, doctors came across a baby kept in a bag and abandoned near the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care building of GVMCH. The baby was admitted to the paediatric ward of the hospital.
“However, on seeing the baby’s features, I recollected that we had seen a baby with the syndrome earlier. We gave the mother’s address to the police and asked them to verify. When they tracked the woman, she confessed to abandoning the child,” he said.
The police brought the mother to the hospital but they found that she was not willing to take care of the child. Doctors informed the Social Welfare Department and District Child Protection Office (DCPO).