Will do everything to save my girl, says doting grandfather of baby born with abnormal looks

With the birth of a girl child still being looked down upon and a girl born with defects being considered a bad omen, the news of a paternal grandfather dedicatedly caring for his newborn granddaughter has come as a breath of fresh air of change.

Fifty-year-old Dilip Dode has refused to budge from Wadia hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where his 16-day-old granddaughter is kept. The baby has been rejected by her own mother for being born with abnormal looks.

Though Dode's family, including in-laws and neighbours, has asked him to not pay much attention to the baby, the Dahanu farmer says he will do everything he can to save his granddaughter. "Her mother Mamta refused to feed her and take care of her. My son too has distanced himself from her as his in-laws said she is bad omen. I didn't pay attention to them. I fed her goat milk. I feel happy to have got her medical help," he says.

The hospital has made arrangement for Dilip's stay on the second floor of the premises. "It has been two days and I can see marked improvement in her. I have informed my wife at home about her health. I hope my daughter-in-law and son too realise her importance and be with her," he says.

Doctors at Wadia hospital say they have never seen a grandfather with so much dedication. "Normally, in rural areas, girl child isn't given much medical care. Here, even the mother has rejected her, but Dilip has been there for the baby like a mother. The only worry he had was medical expenses, we are taking care of that now," says Dr Sudha Rao, professor, paediatrics, and in-charge of NICU.

In the preliminary tests, doctors found brain abnormality which needs further investigation. "Presently, we are treating the infection. She will be on antibiotics for the next two weeks. She has gained weight since her admission. We will need to conduct specific tests later to determine what disorder she has," says Rao.

Doctors say they see 0.1 to 2 per 1,000 live births similar to the Dahanu girl, who is being monitored by around 20 doctors. "Her head growth is similar to a 26-week-old foetus. For some reason, it hasn't grown. It can be due to some injury that the mother had during pregnancy, or infection or genetic mutation. She will require multi-specialty care as she will have functional problems as she grows up," says Rao.

On Saturday, with the help of medical experts, a Zee 24 Taas team admitted the infant in Wadia hospital. She was born to 25-year-old Mamta Dode on May 30 at Saiwan Primary Health Centre in Dahanu. The doctor who treated her in the earlier days says her weight is 800g and, hence, she needs tertiary care.