Premature Newborn Dies At Cheluvamba Hospital; Family Alleges Ant Bites, Authorities Deny Claim
The baby boy was born prematurely on April 15 to Neela, a resident of Kuvempu Nagar, weighing just 1 kg.
Published : April 24, 2026 at 9:39 PM IST
Mysuru: A premature newborn died at Cheluvamba Hospital in Mysuru on Thursday. The family alleged that the infant succumbed to ant bites. Hospital authorities, however, have denied the claim and said that the exact cause of death will be determined only after a post-mortem examination.
The baby boy was born prematurely on April 15 to Neela, a resident of Kuvempu Nagar, weighing just 1 kg. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) immediately after birth for specialised treatment due to low birth weight. The infant died a few days later while still under care.
The child’s mother, Leela, alleged negligence on the part of the hospital staff. “They told us it would be a normal delivery. After birth, the baby was fine but was kept in the ICU because of low weight. I used to visit him daily. Four days ago, I saw ants covering his eyes and nose. When I asked the staff, they said there were many babies to take care of and asked me to leave,” she said.
She further said that the hospital gave inconsistent explanations regarding the baby’s condition. “One day they said it was an infection, the next day jaundice, and then suddenly they said the baby had died. Even if ants had bitten him, they didn’t monitor him properly. There is no proper care here,” she alleged.
The baby’s father, Siddharth said that the child appeared stable for the first few days. “After three days, when my wife saw the baby, ants were moving around his eyes. When we questioned the staff, they assured us they would clean it and asked her to leave. Later, they said the baby had low white blood cell count and had died. Our child died due to negligence,” he said.
The hospital in-charge Dr Laxmikant said the infant was born at seven months and was extremely underweight so he needed intensive care. “The baby was being treated in the ICU. The parents have alleged death due to ant bites, but the exact cause will only be known after the post-mortem report,” he said.
Read More:
