Four months of efforts by the East Delhi Police led to the reunion of 10 years old Shahd with his parents, Afsar and Fareeda, after 9 years! Shahd was kidnapped from a hospital, but the parents never gave up. This is one of the very few cases where the child actually returns to his biological parents.
Shahd accompanied his mother, Fareeda, to Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital in November 2007. She was pregnant and was visiting her doctor. Shahd fell asleep, and while Fareeda was not looking, someone kidnapped him. The parents have spent the last nine years in agony and Fareeda has cursed her lack of attention the whole time!
It is easy, even for parents, to say that she should have been vigilant. However, incidents like this happen more frequently, and even when you are alert.
Here are a few things that you can do to avoid such incidents.
1# Fasten the seat belt!
If you use a car seat or a stroller to transport your baby, always put the safety strap on. It takes some time to open it, so your kid would be safer that way.
Urban mums find the body carriers to be a good alternative to carrying the child in the arms. The skin warmth boosts your child's growth while he remains safe and snug.
Always ensure that the baby is in your sight and keep that mobile of yours away!
2# Travel in a group
Many of these unfortunate incidents happen in trains, buses, etc. If you are travelling alone with the kid with luggage, chances are, you would be singled out by people who traffick children.
When you are going in a group, there is safety in numbers. There is someone to look after your luggage if you are carrying the baby. Mums often travel with their dais to make things simpler.
3# Don't entrust your kid to someone new
You may have met this other mum who comes to the playground. She might be very friendly, and you might bond with her instantly while discussing how Kareena is rocking her pregnancy! And before you know, she might volunteer to take your kid along with hers for the new Disney movie.
Well, this might be a trap. Make friends, but do not entrust your kids easily to others, especially if you have not known them for a long time.
Read on for more safety tips.
4# Do a background check on the caregiver
You may have a dai or a bai helping you out with the daily chores. Let me remind you that this is a perfect guise for kidnappers! She may be a part of a team who trafficks young children.
Always perform a background check. Do not rely overtly on the references provided by the agency. Go and meet the previous employers in person if possible. Always probe about why the bai left the last job.
It is never a bad idea to crosscheck.
5# Tag your child for journey
If you are travelling, you can do these things
- Write your name and contact number on the leg of your baby with a ball pen and cover it with a cellophane tape. That way, if he is lost, someone might end up calling you.
- Reach the bus stop/train station/airport early. Avoiding rush ensures that you are not distracted.
- If your kid is old enough to walk, use a child tracker. They come as watches that may sound an alarm if the child is separated from you.
Beyond safety
My kid is just seven weeks old and he is already the centre of my universe! I cannot even imagine what mums like Fareeda must have gone through. Being proactive and vigilant about our kid's safety is in our hands, so mums, keep your eyes and ears open and remember: It is okay to be suspicious when it comes to your kid's safety.
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(Image courtesy: The Hindu)
