Baby struggles with breathing

The two-year-old battered baby girl was once again put back on the ventilator late on Friday night after she developed difficulty in breathing.

The two-year-old battered baby girl was once again put back on the ventilator late on Friday night after she developed difficulty in breathing.

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The baby is undergoing treatment at the neurosurgery ICU of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences' (AIIMS) Trauma Centre after she was brought to the hospital in a severely injured condition by a teenager, claiming to be her mother.

"She was not breathing properly on her own, so we had to put her back on the ventilator last night. Her vital parameters are stable and the infection has gone down significantly. The infection in the brain is our primary concern at the moment; we are keeping a close watch," said a senior doctor at the trauma centre.

The condition of the baby girl had deteriorated after she developed swelling in the brain, infection in the lungs and brain. Doctors had to perform two bed-side surgeries to drain out the fluid getting collected in her brain. A surgery to create permanent passage for the brain fluid to pass using a plastic pipe inside her had to be put on hold because of the infection.

Forensic experts also collected the baby's sample for DNA profiling to establish her parentage. According to sources, the result will be out in a week.

The baby had severe head injuries, broken arms, bite marks over the body and cheeks branded with hot iron when she was brought to the hospital. A life-saving brain surgery was performed on her on the day of admission. She has been in the ICU for the past 26 days.