WINDHOEK – A baby girl was born last week with no legs and arms at Tsandi State Hospital in the Omusati Region.
The relatively healthy baby was born without arms and legs though she has eyes and ears, said Elise Haukongo an aunt of Victoria Haihambo who gave birth to the limbless baby. Haihambo (35) gave birth last week and is still being cared for in the hospital. Haihambo is a mother of seven healthy babies and the baby with the deformity is her eighth child, according to the aunt. Haihambo and her partner, both unemployed, live together in Onamambulaga at Onesi, a village in the Omusati Region. The aunt said she is going to take care of Haihambo until the baby grows stronger, since both the infant’s parents have limited resources.
“We knew that no matter what the public said we would deal with it because this is our child and we love her no matter what,” said the very supportive aunt. She said the child appears healthy, although she cries and looks sleepy most of the time.
According to information from a website sometimes the medication a mother takes during pregnancy can cause a child to be born with missing or incomplete limb formation. According to the aunt the child would need special clothing, since it will be difficult to dress her in clothes tailored for a normal baby without deformities.
By Loide Jason