Needled baby leaves hospital after successful surgery

An 11-month-old baby who had 16 needles inserted into her body was released from hospital on Wednesday after a successful operation to remove the needles.

"The baby was in good condition and quite healthy when she was released from hospital in the morning," Hou Xiaoju, a member of the publicity department of Beijing Children's Hospital, told China Daily on Wednesday.

Hou suggested the baby's parents not feed her excessively in the following weeks, as her digestive system and flesh, injured by the needles, need time to recover.

Fan Zixuan, the baby from Gaotang county in Shandong province, was discovered to have 16 needles in her body. Her parents removed four needles by themselves, from her thigh, back and buttocks. She was moved to Beijing by her parents in October for better treatment after an X-ray at a hospital in Gaotang revealed 12 more needles in her abdomen and buttocks.

Fan Guangsheng, the baby's father, was quoted by the Beijing Times that he had no idea why his daughter's body had so many needles in it, and he suspected it was done intentionally. The baby had kept crying and fidgeting before the operation, her mother said.

Fan Zixuan's operation lasted three and a half hours. All 12 of the remaining needles were removed from her body.

The public security bureau of Gaotang has focused its investigation on 26-year-old Liu Hongyun, Fan Zixuan's aunt, who died on Oct 24 after taking poison, the bureau said in a brief statement. The bureau has organized a team to investigate the baby's injuries and Liu's death and will make the results public, the bureau said.

Hou, from Beijing Children's Hospital, said the hospital has received similar cases of babies being injured with needles before, but Fan's case, with so many needles in her body, was most serious.

"Doctors said the injury will not cause a negative effect to her health in the future, but may leave a psychological scar," she said.