Gujarat infant branded with hot iron to 'cure' cardiac problem

A 7-month-old girl who was branded with a hot iron as part of a traditional cure steeped in superstition in Gujarat's Banaskantha district was Monday discharged after being treated for a burn injury that turned septic, a doctor said. The infant had a cardiac problem and her parents took her to a quack in Lakhani area around a week ago who dispensed the hot iron "cure", following which the wound festered and her condition deteriorated, he said.

"She was brought here and was discharged today after getting proper medical care," said Dr Sunil Acharya of a private hospital in Deesa. This is the second such case in the district this month, an official said.

On June 2, a baby boy was similarly branded in Vaseda village in Vav taluka and succumbed to infection, he said..