• Baby suffers hundreds of needle pricks across his body
• Mother used traditional needling as punishment and cold remedy

A ten-month-old baby was admitted to a hospital in southwestern China after hundreds of needle marks were found all over his body, in a case that sparked shock and widespread outrage on social media.

According to spine surgeon Dr. Sui Wenyuan, the child was received by the Pediatrics Department of Mojiang County Hospital on December 16 last year, suffering from fever and convulsions.

During the medical examination, it was revealed that the baby’s mother, surnamed Dao, repeatedly pricked him with needles whenever he “misbehaved” or caught a cold or fever, claiming it was a form of punishment or a traditional folk method to draw blood.

Doctors estimated the baby had been pricked between 500 and 600 times.

In the most recent incident, the mother inserted a needle—usually used for sewing shoe soles—into the child’s neck, but the needle broke and its tip became lodged in the cervical vertebrae, requiring urgent surgery.

Footage showed multiple wounds and dark scabs across the child’s feet, head, and torso.

Dr. Sui explained that the surgery was complicated because the parents were unsure of the needle’s exact shape or whether it had barbs, which could have caused severe damage if removed incorrectly.

He added that the medical team conducted all necessary tests and successfully performed the surgery on the same day, noting that the high fever may have been caused by rust on the needle. The child’s condition stabilized a few days later, and he was moved out of intensive care.

On January 21, a joint investigation team including police, health authorities, civil affairs, and the Women’s Federation issued an official statement confirming that the injuries were caused by the mother, who had used the traditional “needling” method in an attempt to treat her child herself.

The statement noted that the mother had a poor education, lacked scientific knowledge, and showed signs of psychological distress and anxiety.

Although Chinese law criminalizes child abuse, authorities have not yet reported whether the mother has faced legal consequences.

Meanwhile, the case ignited widespread condemnation online, with many expressing shock at the cruelty inflicted on the infant and calling for his protection and removal from a dangerous environment.