Five-Day-Old Baby Dies After Being Dropped by Unsupervised Child in French Hospital Maternity Ward
Tragedy struck at Jeanne-de-Flandre Children’s Hospital in Lille, France, when five-day-old Zayneb-Cassandra suffered a devastating brain injury after being found unconscious on the floor beside her crib. Born prematurely, little Zayneb was immediately placed on life support but sadly passed away four days later due to trauma consistent with a fall.
Authorities believe a six-year-old boy, left unsupervised to wander the maternity ward while his mother recovered from childbirth, may have picked up and dropped the fragile newborn. Staff and witnesses reported the child had been seen interfering with other babies prior to the incident.
Delphine, a fellow mother on the ward, recounted hearing a loud noise before discovering the boy near Zayneb’s crib, with the infant lying motionless on the floor. Despite frantic resuscitation efforts, Zayneb could not be saved.
Zayneb’s family has voiced deep frustration, claiming hospital staff were repeatedly warned about the boy’s disruptive behavior. Her cousin Karima described the boy as “obsessed” with the baby, even calling her “my doll,” and recalled occasions when Zayneb was found without a diaper or monitoring equipment.
Sephora and Mohamed-Hamza, Zayneb’s grieving parents, firmly place responsibility on hospital negligence rather than the child or his mother. “A child should never have been allowed to roam unsupervised in such a sensitive environment,” her father said.
An official criminal investigation is underway, while the hospital has launched an internal review and tightened access controls to neonatal units.
“This tragedy shattered our family,” Zayneb’s grandmother shared in anguish. “My daughter came home without her baby. It’s a heartbreak beyond words.”