Newborn Dies After Allegedly Slipping From Nurse's Arms, Family Told Baby Was Stillborn

A newborn baby in India died after allegedly slipping from a nurse's arms and falling on the floor.

The incident took place at a private hospital in Malhaur locality of Chinhat in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. The infant's family was reportedly told by the hospital authorities that it was a stillbirth.

The mishap occurred when the staff nurse allegedly lifted the baby after the delivery without wrapping the boy in a towel, India.com reported. As a result, the child fell to the ground and died.

Following this, the doctors and the staff members falsely told the deceased infant's family the boy was born dead. However, an autopsy confirmed the baby died from a head injury.

The incident took place on April 19, and the autopsy was done on April 20. The incident came to light Tuesday, The Times of India reported.

The investigating officer, Abhisekh Pandey, told the outlet the baby's autopsy was conducted on the recommendation of the hospital.

A case of death by negligence, criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt was registered against the doctors and the hospital staff on April 24 after the father of the baby, Jeevan Rajput, made a formal complaint at the Chinhat police station.

Rajput said his wife, only identified as Poonam, was admitted to the hospital after she started having labor pain. Poonam gave birth to the baby the same night.

Rajput told India.com his wife witnessed the baby slipping from the nurse's arms, and added the hospital staff threatened her not to disclose the truth.

"I was told the baby was stillborn. However, when I spoke to my wife, she said that the delivery was normal and she saw the baby alive. She told me that she saw a nurse taking my baby in her hands without any towel, when he slipped through her hand. My wife panicked and started screaming. The nurse and other staff members reacted by pressing her mouth and threatened her to keep her mouth shut," Rajput told the outlet.

Rajput added his wife was in a state of trauma after the incident, and was under treatment for the same.