How Honey Cost A Baby His Life.

The heartbreaking story of a newborn’s short life

You are in your mother’s womb and suddenly something is happening. You don’t know what, but you can hear your mother’s cry. You are listening to different sounds.

Oh, they are saying you are coming into this world. The nine months are complete. You are thrilled right now. Although you are a bit sad, because your mother is in so much pain — but still, you want to come.

You want to see her face. You have heard her voice for three months. Sometimes, she even talks to you. And now you want to listen to her. You want to hug her when you grow old, You are so in love with her.

You will see the face of every voice you have heard in these months. You will see your father and your relatives.

Someone is pushing you from your neck. You just felt a gush of air in your lungs.

Oh! Finally, You are breathing.

You are here in this world. They have wrapped you in so many clothes.

You try to see the face of the woman holding you, but everything is blurry. She doesn’t feel like your mother. She is an older woman.

“Where is my mother?” You think.

Maybe she’s sleeping after suffering so much.

Just for once, could you see her?

At that time the only thing you want is your mother, her comfort, her voice.

Suddenly you felt a finger going into your mouth. It is sweet — umm very sweet. You are sucking it.

The woman holding you has given it to you. She is saying it is honey. You don’t know who she is, maybe your grandmother.

Now you want to sleep. You want to see your mother’s face before sleeping… but your eyes are closing.

You are in deep sleep when suddenly you feel a stabbing pain in your stomach. It is beyond your control. You can’t cry. You are in your cot. You can see the people standing but you can’t call them. Something has started coming out of your mouth.

You want to turn yourself but can’t. Some liquid is going through your windpipe. You are gasping for air, but can’t breathe.

What is happening?

Why you can’t breathe?

Your mother is coming into your mind. You have not seen her face yet. You have not heard her voice.

People are running, some saying the baby has aspirated.

What is meant by this?

Now the pain is decreasing slowly.

You are trying to open your eyes.

Someone is pressing your chest.

You can hear the people cry.

They are saying you are dying.

The doctor scolded the woman for giving too much honey — saying how could he digest it.

Am I dying? You thought.

Will I not see my mother’s face? Why does it feel like everything is light and I am vanishing into thin air?

From the time you started hearing in the womb, she used to talk to you.

She sings you songs.

She tells you about her worries.

You wanted to comfort her after coming into this life.

What will she do without me?

How will she sleep?

How will she be happy again?

Why did they give me honey when all I needed was my mother’s milk?

What was my mistake?

What was my mother’s mistake?

All these questions are continuously popping into your mind.

Slowly your mind is clouding and everything becomes blurred.

The sound you used to hear in your chest is no more.

At the morning sunrise when all the world is new,
Just look for me and love me, as you know I loved you.

It is time for me to leave you, I won’t say goodbye;
Look for me in rainbows, high up in the sky.

I witnessed this myself. I was on night duty in the neonatology ward when some people rushed into the emergency with a baby in their hands. The baby was cyanosed. On examination, we couldn’t find the heartbeat. We tried CPR but all in vain.

He was dead.

He was a very cute baby of about 3.5kg. He was born a few hours earlier.

Looking back on his short life, we learned that his grandmother had finger-fed him honey. They say it’s a tradition. But it was not just a drop of honey. She gave him about 1/3 teaspoon of honey. The sweetness disagreed with the baby. Honey also has a thick consistency.

Babies can’t digest solid or semisolid food at this age. He vomited while sleeping and aspirated. He died soon after.

That was a very tragic night. I still remember the baby. I feel so sorry for his mother, who didn’t even get a chance to hold him in her arms.