A
seven-month old baby boy has frozen to death after his mother placed him in a
buggy and left him outside in Russia.
The child
was exposed to temperatures of -7C for around five hours in the far-east
Khabarovsk region, officials said.
Local media
said his 40-year-old mother placed him on the balcony so he could sleep in the
fresh air in the town of Nikolayevsk-on-Amur.
She
reportedly then forgot about him and only remembered to check on him five hours
later.
He showed no
signs of life when she brought him inside and could not be revived.
A criminal
investigation has been launched into the death with a preliminary report
suggesting the cause was hypothermia.
Leaving
children to sleep outdoors is surprisingly common in some countries with colder
climates. Some parents believe that children sleep better and for longer when
left outside, and exposing children to the fresh air is thought to help prevent
coughs and colds.
