A baby boy, rescued from a man who kidnapped him from Bang Len Hospital in Nakhon Pathom province, is still under close observation on Tuesday, after doctors diagnosed him with cerebral oedema, a swollen eyelid, an infection and hypoxemia.
The doctors said on Tuesday that, after thorough examination, the baby who was born on August 11 suffers from an intracerebral haemorrhage and would be prescribed an anticonvulsant for at least one year. He will be kept under close watch for possible brain related symptoms.
Police have detained Nantajak Silprasert, 43, a native of Nakhon Pathom, after raiding his house on August 14 and finding the baby inside.
The infant was snatched from his bed while his mother was sleeping nearby at about 3.50am on August 13.
The kidnapping came to light when Facebook user Saowarot Sapsamreng posted a photo of a missing baby and that of a man from CCTV footage who was suspected of kidnapping the baby from his hospital bed.
Yuparat Tesnam, the boy’s 26-year-old mother, told reporters that she breastfed her baby at about 3.30am before falling asleep. When she woke up at about 4am, her baby was missing.
At 11am the next day police received a tip about the suspect and were informed that his house was in Tambon Hinmoon in Bang Len district, Nakhon Pathom.
Police are expanding the investigation to determine whether the suspect is involved with a human trafficking ring or connected with other kidnappings. Police also found that Nantajak has various bank accounts and is in considerable debts.
The hospital’s CCTV shows that the suspect put the baby in a black plastic bag to smuggle him out of the hospital. Then he hung the bag on his motorcycle’s handle bars.
Nantajak told police, after being arrested, that he fed the boy a carton of milk, giving him diarrhoea.
Director of Bang Len Hospital expressed his regrets and apologies to the family of the child on Monday.
Dr Kamonlak Jindatrairat said, “We are very sorry and apologise for what happened. The hospital have security measures in place, but we believe that the suspect had surveyed the hospital buildings beforehand. That’s why he knew how to avoid the hospital staff.”
