Baby’s toes amputated after mother leaves hairdryer on, causing severe burns on legs

A baby’s toes had to be amputated after her mother fell asleep with the hairdryer on, leaving her with severe burns on her legs.

South China Morning Post reported on Monday, March 17 that the Taiwanese parent surnamed Wu is set to serve jail time for negligence.

Per the media outlet, she accidentally fell asleep while she was drying her little one's damp bed. The head of the device was directed towards the baby’s legs at the time.

When she woke up from her nap, Wu saw that her newborn's legs were already filled with blisters due to intense heat. The mother alerted authorities right away and sought medical assistance.

According to medical staff, 15.5% of the baby’s body surface area was covered with burns, causing permanent tissue damage. They determined that a portion of it can no longer repaired so they had to amputate three of the baby’s toes on her left foot.

The incident happened in September 2023, according to the SCMP.

During the trial, Wu said she fell asleep accidentally as her post-partum depression medication made her feel lightheaded. She, however, recalled moving her child away from the hair dryer.

The judge noted that the mother should have expected that the baby would roll over in her bed. The court ruled that it could have been prevented had she used "basic common sense."

Wu has been sentenced to five months in jail for negligent injury. She has also been fined NT$150,000 (over PhP260,000).