Infant drowns in bathroom water container

Ras Al Khaimah: A Pakistani family has lost its only infant boy who drowned in a small half-full water container the family kept in the bathroom for washing, in case of possible water cuts.

The sixteen-month-old Sobhan Shahed who started walking only a couple of months back, was playing around with some of his cousins in his own home on the Old RAK Corniche area, while his mother and aunt were in the kitchen preparing food.

Abdul Wahid, an uncle of the deceased infant said the mother asked one of the children about her only baby son and he said in a childish innocent manner "Sobhan was in the water in the bathroom".

The two women rushed into the bathroom to find that Sobhan's head was under water in the plastic container and the he was motionless.

The mother collapsed instantly and the sister rushed the infant to the nearby Kuwaiti hospital, where the physicians pronounced him dead.

Do people realise the extent of danger children face around a home? Should there be a national awareness campaign for child safety at home?

Parents should not entrust their infant?s life to young ones because it may lead to untoward accidents. They should oversee their children carefully most of the time! At this very young age he or she doesn?t deserve to go this way. I am really sad to read this story. My profound sympathy to the family.
Jeffry
Abu dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 17:39

So sorry for the family of the baby Please be very careful in the future.
Mavi Tumandao
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 17:10

Indeed it is very shocking for a mother to lose an infant in almost a fraction of a moment. May the Almighty give her the courage to bear the loss. Yes, a national campaign should be conducted through media and newspapers to spread awareness of the possible dangers to infants at home, while driving, on beaches and all possible places. Pamphlets should be distributed at maternity hospitals, child health centres, malls and nurseries. Even the older children at schools should be taught the dangers in store for them and their siblings.
Emrana
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 16:51

May the Almighty give parents the strength and patience to fight this phase in their lives.
N. D.
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 16:39

My heart-felt condolences to the bereaved family, who lost their only child. May the Almighty bless them with patience. A bit of advice for all parents ? please ensure the safety of your little ones and never trust young children for such jobs. May the Almighty protect us and our children from such dangers.
Yousuf Khaja
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 16:33

May the Almighty give them strength to bear this sudden sad event. I lost my sister in the same way, so I know it is not always the parents? carelessness. It is the Almighty who had decided the child?s life span on this earth.
Jigna
dubai,uae
Posted: February 20, 2009, 16:16

Similar incident happened with my brother when I was four years old and he was two, but my mother reacted immediately and he was rushed to the hospital and saved. I pray for the parents of Sobhan.
S. Mahadevan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 16:10

It is really tragic.
Waseem Ahmad
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 16:10

I am a mother of a one-year-old baby, I don?t leave my child unattended although I have the most important job. Nothing is precious than children for everyone. My deepest condolences are with the family. May the Almighty give them strength to bear this tragedy.
Uzma Ishfaq
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 15:38

In the US we have campaigns and ads that warn us about the danger of water with infants. When a newborn leaves the hospital, the hospital gives pamphlets that contain important information on the safety of children. One such danger is leaving the toilet cover up. A child can look into it and fall in and drown. Another one is top loading washing machines. There are so many. May the Almighty ease their pain and grant them patience and strength through this difficult time. With this tragic accident, this should be a warning to all of us.
S. H.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 15:15

It is the responsibility of parents to take care of their children, but I really feel sorry for the family who has lost their only child. May the Almighty give them patience.
Usman Javed
Edinburgh,UK
Posted: February 20, 2009, 14:18

Being parents, we have to be very alert with our little ones. What's important is to keep an eye on your child every five minutes. I think it?s important for every parent whose child is below the age of five to read child proofing instructions.
Deepa
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 13:47

I think parents do not realise the danger. There should be more awareness campaigns. The risks faced by this era's children are far grave with all the technology. It would prove helpful indeed.
Neelam
Abu dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 13:25

Babies are more important than anything else. If you are a mother or parent, you are responsible for your child.
Ina
Manila,Philippines
Posted: February 20, 2009, 13:24

It is a very sad loss for this family of the little boy. You can't however have a national campaign for child safety for such a diverse population here and expect everyone to get coverage. The money would be better spent on having parenting classes at hospitals post-delivery. Just because you are capable of producing a child does not mean you understand the responsibilities associated with it and classes can often help.
Sam Amai
Abu Dhabi,Australian living in UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 12:50

Highly shocking. I understand how much it hurts and pains when we loose a young one like this. Mother, will be inconsolable for a longer time and whatever she sees she will immediately relate it to the child. My heart felt condolences to the family. May the Almighty give them all the strength to travel through this worst phase.
Balaji Krishnaswamy
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 12:44

It's so painful for the whole family. I can feel this a little. All parents and guardians must keep an eye on children almost all the time. Media should guide the parents and explain the safety hazards in homes for children under two years.
Malek Mazhar
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 11:55

Do not leave children below five years alone with their friends.
Mathew
Kerala,India
Posted: February 20, 2009, 11:37

Yes. There should be a national awareness campaign for child safety at home. Especially, for the children living in high-rise buildings, where they are in danger due to elevators and open windows without any safety grills.
Soman
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 11:34

This is something a total lapse of carelessness and irresponsibility on elders' part. One need not be too intelligent to understand that babies have to be taken care of wherever they go. Even inside the house, a baby's life can be endangered by a mere electrical switchboard. Bringing up children is not a joke. A mother should always be aware of safety measures that she needs to take care of. Anyway, I do feel the pain due to the tragedy that happened to this family. May the Almighty give strength and courage to the parents to bear the great loss. May the departed innocent little soul rest in peace. It's an eye opener to each and every parent, especially mothers to be extremely careful about their babies.
George Daniel
New Delhi,India
Posted: February 20, 2009, 11:30

It is terrible when we read news like this. It is the cardinal duty of parents, especially mothers, to take all necessary safety precautions when it comes to young children. Mothers should not do two things together, that is cooking the food and leaving the children at the mercy of other children simultaneously. Children must be put to sleep at the time of cooking or should not be left behind in an area where there is lot of water. After storage of water, the containers must be tightly closed.
Dr. Mohammad Shakil S. Seddiqi
Karachi,Pakistan
Posted: February 20, 2009, 11:14

Yes, is something of this sort happens, it is unbearable. There should be a campaign. It's for saving lives, especially when it comes to nuclear families and parents are not there to educate their children.
Biju Jamal Al Deen
Ajman,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 10:32

Within the UAE there are not many incidents like this. That means people have awareness of child safety at home, especially for crawling infants, such as the extension wires, multi plugs and other hazardous material. However, it would be good if some campaign is launched for child safety at home.
Majid Janjua
Lahore,Pakistan
Posted: February 20, 2009, 10:14

Absolutely, it is necessary for both parents to be aware of the risks children can face at home. Some parents, even after so many tragedies of children falling to death, still leave them alone at home. Sometimes they leave them locked in the car with the engine on, which is very dangerous. Parents should be more careful and thoughtful before taking any such step, in the best interest of their wards. Media can be very helpful in bringing this awareness campaign and spread it among malls and other public places to expand the reach.
Adi Rao
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 09:58

It is a basic instinct for parents to take care of their children, especially if they are still small.
Madette
Al Ain,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 09:42

My heart goes out to the bereaved family whose loss is irrevocable. As a would-be mother I can only imagine what trauma baby Sobhan's mother must be going through. Had there not been such a crisis for water, maybe such a tragedy would never have occurred. My deepest sympathies are with them.
Shiuli Dutt Dey
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 09:26

This is total negligence and much carelessness from the mother?s side. She should not leave her infant alone.
Ishfaq Kiani
Rawalpindi,Pakistan
Posted: February 20, 2009, 08:16

It's a shocking news! One cannot even think of it. My deep condolences to the Shahed family.
Domingos M. Pereira
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 07:16

There are hidden dangers throughout our homes and our children are surrounded by it every day, but because we can't see, smell or hear it, we often take it for granted forgetting that it can injure and even kill. Most people definitely don't realise the extent of danger children face around a home. Slippery bathtubs or floors, kitchen tools, electric switches, exposed plugs and appliances are just a few to mention. A national awareness campaign for child safety at home sounds like a great idea!
Abiha Khan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 04:03

I wonder how grown ups can just leave a sixteen-month-old infant in the care of other cousins who are also young and needs constant adult supervision. It is such a loss to the family and the society. I believe as parents we should always be keeping an eye on our children especially at such crucial a age.
Gerard
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 20, 2009, 01:31

May the Almighty give patience to the family.
Sager
Fairfax, VA,USA
Posted: February 20, 2009, 00:25