Karnan and Rajeswari were shocked to see their two-month-old son
Rahul on fire for the first time. They woke up to the gravity of the situation
when the incident repeated itself.
Doctors
told them that the child was suffering from “spontaneous human combustion,” a
condition where concentrated combustible gas is emitted from the body, making
people susceptible to fire.
Rahul has
been admitted to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital (KMCH) with 10 degree burns.
He is now stable and responding to treatment, said the doctors.
Karnan
and Rajeswari are contract labourers from Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu.
Karnan said neighbours started isolating the family after observing Rahul.
“Everybody thought it was due to evil influence,” he said.
“The baby
was admitted on August 8 with 10 per cent burns. He is stable now,” R Narayana
Babu, head of pediatrics at the hospital, told Deccan Herald.
Babu,
however, said the treatment was not adequate. “Research is going on to find an
accurate treatment for this disease,” he said. The baby will be kept under
observation. He may be discharged after two weeks, he added.
About 200
such cases have been reported across the globe in the last 300 years.
“The mother
told us that there were four such instances of spontaneous fire. The first
time, it happened eight days after his birth. The last episode was a month ago
and the baby was admitted to Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical
Education and Research,” said R Jayachandran, a professor with the paediatrics
department of KMCH.
“The
family does not have any medical record and we have to check with Jipmer for
the case sheet.” According to Babu, the baby suffered burns in the abdomen and
the chest.
“The baby
has to be observed in detail. We have to investigate whether the ailment is
genetic or otherwise. We should also carry out tests to find out the kind of
gases released by the baby,” Jayachandran said. Doctors said the baby should be
kept in places with proper ventilation.
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