You would expect she was a record-breaking baby at birth, but Aliyah Saleem was actually born at a healthy 9lbs,

 

However, the little girl from India soon began gaining weight at great speed and now weighs 2st 13lbs, making her the same weight as an average six-year-old girl.

 

The weight gain was putting Aliya’s health in danger, but her father Mohammed Saleem says: “We have tried our best, but we could only afford to take her to the local hospital.

 

“The doctors in the village could not tell us clearly what she is suffering from. We took Aliya to a doctor in Ranchi. After the check up the doctor suggested that we go to another city, but we couldn't afford that so we didn't take her.”

 

Aliya’s continued to gain weight and her parents’ worry increased, as Aliyah’s sibling died at 18 months after gaining weight in a similar unexplained fashion. They then managed to get her a consultation at Fortis Hospital in Delhi.

 

 

Head of paediatrics at Fortis Hospital, Dr Krishan Chugh, says: “this is the heaviest baby at ten months of age that I have seen. This could be case of morbid obesity or even a hormonal imbalance.”

 

Aliya’s size has made life very difficult for her mother Shabana Parveen, who can only sit her daughter on her lap for a very short time and finds it difficult to carry her. She cannot sit on her own, making it hard for Shabana to do simple things, like housework.

 

The condition is also affecting the 10-month-old’s breathing and sleep, and she eats three-times the amount of an average child her age, putting even more strain on her family’s finances.

 

However, while her parentsremain worried as consultants try to figure out what’s wrong with the little girl, it’s not all bleak: Aliya is absolutely adored by the people in her village. “Everybody in the village loves her. Kids also come and play with her. But very few can lift her.”

 

We hope her condition is pinpointed soon so Aliya can get the help she needs.

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