Hospital That Put a Pacifier with Tape on a Two-Day-Old Newborn's Mouth

Hospital states "Tape causes no irritation, but we will prepare improvement measures"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] Police have launched an investigation after it was revealed that a newborn baby, just two days old and born in a university hospital, was given a pacifier taped in place to prevent it from being spit out.

According to the Gyeongnam Police Agency on the 5th, a nurse in the neonatal unit of a university hospital in Changwon, Gyeongnam, recently placed a pacifier in the mouth of a two-day-old baby and taped it to prevent the baby from spitting it out, which was discovered by the mother, Ms. A.

According to an SBS News report on the 4th, Ms. A, who gave birth on the 28th of last month, found an unfamiliar pacifier under the baby's crib when she visited the neonatal unit to see her child.

Ms. A said, "The baby was shaking its head and seemed very distressed, and the pacifier I found had a long piece of transparent tape attached to it." When Ms. A protested, the hospital explained, "The baby was fussy, so we gave the pacifier, but since the baby kept spitting it out, we taped it in place."

On the 5th, the hospital stated, "The tape used is minimally stimulating, so we believe there is no problem, but we will prepare improvement measures." However, Ms. A countered, "Why would they risk such danger just to make the baby use a pacifier? They are doing it for their own convenience," and filed a police report accusing the hospital of child abuse.

The police plan to investigate whether child abuse occurred by questioning hospital staff and others involved.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.