**Malkangiri:** The horror of child branding is back as another innocent infant has been the latest victim of the superstition. A 2-month-old baby boy has been admitted to hospital in a serious condition after he was branded with hot iron rods all over his body on the advice of the local quack in Malkangiri district to cure ailments.
The infant, who belonged to Chitranagapali village under Kalimela police station was admitted to the district headquarters hospital here last night in a serious condition, the doctor who was treating the boy said.
“A two months old baby from Kalimela was admitted to hospital after being branded with hot iron. We hope his condition will improve. We are repeatedly advising parents not to brand their children in the name of treatment,” said pediatrician Santosh Kumar Sahoo.
As the child was suffering from stomach ache and fever, his parents applied the crude method in an attempt to cure him, doctors said.