A 28-day-old baby girl has died in Surabaya after allegedly being fed a raw egg by her grandmother to reduce a fever.
A 28-day-old baby girl has died after allegedly being fed a raw egg by her grandmother in an attempt to reduce her fever, according to Indonesian news outlet detikJatim.
The baby, identified as Alena, was admitted to Dr Soetomo Hospital in Surabaya, East Java, and placed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on Friday. Despite receiving medical treatment, she died at 7.10am local time on Sunday.
According to the report, the baby’s paternal grandmother allegedly fed her a raw egg, believing it would lower her body temperature after she developed a fever. The infant’s condition reportedly deteriorated afterwards, requiring intensive hospital treatment.
Hospital public relations officer Adin Niken confirmed the baby’s death, saying medical staff had provided treatment in accordance with standard procedures and the patient’s needs. However, the hospital declined to comment further on the infant’s specific medical condition or the alleged raw egg incident, citing patient confidentiality.
The case attracted public attention after Alena’s aunt shared updates on the baby’s condition on the social media platform Threads before announcing her death on Sunday.
The family expressed gratitude to the medical team and East Java Deputy Governor Emil Elestianto Dardak for their assistance during Alena’s treatment.
Medical professionals commenting on the case reminded the public that newborns should be fed only breast milk or appropriate infant formula, unless otherwise advised by a qualified healthcare professional. Complementary foods are generally introduced at around six months of age.
There has been no official medical confirmation that consuming the raw egg directly caused Alena’s death.