Kozhikode mother reunited with newborn after DNA test confirms parentage

Kozhikode: After months of emotional turmoil and uncertainty, a young mother in Kozhikode was finally reunited with her newborn on Friday, bringing an end to a painful separation that began when family pressures forced her to leave the baby at an Ammathottil.

The child was handed over to the mother after DNA test results confirmed her biological relationship with the newborn and officials completed the required procedures, including an assessment of the family’s circumstances.

The woman had given birth to the child at a hospital in Kozhikode city on March 4. She left the hospital on March 12 and later placed the newborn in the Ammathottil at the Government General Hospital, Kozhikode Beach, which is run under the State Council for Child Welfare.

However, 48 days later, she approached the authorities seeking the return of her child.

Following this, the Vellayil Police submitted a report to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) stating that two newborns had been brought to the Ammathottil within a gap of only a few hours. Then, the CWC decided to conduct a DNA test to establish the mother’s identity and confirm her biological relationship with the child.

The mother was initially asked to pay ₹25,200 as the fee for the DNA test, adding to her distress. But Women and Child Development Minister Bindhu Krishna intervened and directed that the DNA test result be released without collecting the fee. The intervention helped speed up the process of reuniting the mother and child.

After the DNA results confirmed the mother’s identity, officials deputed by the District Child Protection Unit and the Child Welfare Committee visited her residence and examined the family’s circumstances. The assessment was conducted to ensure that the child could be safely handed back to the mother.

With the procedures completed, the newborn was reunited with her mother on Friday afternoon, ending months of uncertainty and bringing the long-awaited relief of holding her child close once again.

Kozhikode CWC chairperson Shiji A Rehman said the committee took all necessary steps to ensure that the child was reunited with her mother, adding that the delay of several weeks was due solely to the official procedures mandated under the rules.

“We are a quasi-judicial body and are required to follow the prescribed procedures. However, we expedited all the processes, including the DNA test. The joint efforts of child welfare agencies, including the CWC and the District Child Protection Unit, made the reunion of the mother and child possible,” the chairperson said.