Toddler In China Hospitalised With 600 Needle Marks After Mother Hurts Him For "Misbehaviour"

A shocking case involving a very young child has caused anger and concern among people online, after details of severe abuse came to light through a doctor's account. The incident highlights a disturbing form of mistreatment that left a baby fighting for his life, reported the South China Morning Post.

A 10-month-old baby was rushed to hospital after hundreds of needle marks were found on his body, amid allegations that his mother had pricked him multiple times. After the condition of the child came to light, there was a lot of anger on social media.

A video related to the child's treatment was recently shared by an online user named spine surgeon Dr. Sui Wenyuan. Sui is a doctor working at the Spine Center of Xinhua Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.

Sui recounts a horrifying case he encountered during a pediatric consultation. He says that on December 16, 2025, a 10-month-old child was admitted to the pediatric department of the People's Hospital of Mojiang County, located in Puer city of Yunnan province in southwestern China, in a condition of high fever and tremors.

During the investigation, Sui learned that whenever the child misbehaved or had a cold, cough or fever, his mother, surnamed Dao, would prick him with needles to draw blood. She did it as a punishment or as a traditional home remedy. It is estimated that the child may have been pricked with a needle about 500 to 600 times.

In the recent incident, Dao had pricked the child's neck with a needle used for sewing shoes. The needle broke and its tip got stuck in the neck spine, requiring surgery.

Information related to Dao and her husband has not been made public. Sui said the surgery was extremely difficult because the parents were unable to accurately describe the size of the needle or whether it had barbs, and removing it in the wrong direction could cause serious damage to surrounding tissue.

Sui said that after completing all the necessary tests, the surgery was successfully performed on the same day. He said the child had high fever, possibly due to rust on the needle, but his temperature returned to normal three to four days after the operation and he was shifted out of the ICU.

On January 21, the joint investigation team of the Public Security Bureau, the Health Commission, the Civil Affairs Department, and the Women's Federation issued an official statement. The investigation concluded that the needle wounds on the child's body were inflicted by his mother, who was using a traditional needle-therapy method to heal them herself.

Investigation revealed that Dao was poorly educated, lacked scientific knowledge and was also found to have symptoms of emotional anxiety. Although laws against child abuse exist in China, it is not yet clear whether any legal action has been taken against Dao.