KOCHI: Doctors treating the seven-year-old boy—who was brutally assaulted by his mother’s partner at Thodupuzha— have begun feeding him through a Ryle’s tube (a rubber or plastic tube passing through the nose and into the stomach), even as they maintained that the child’s brain is still dysfunctional.There is no improvement in the boy’s condition, said doctors.“His organs, except brain, are functional now. Hence, there wouldn’t be an issue in digesting juice or rice water given through the tube. His brain is almost dysfunctional. Other organs are functioning due to ventilator support,” said assistant professor (forensics) at Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Medical College, Kolencherry, Dr Subin George.Hospital sources added that the team of doctors from Kottayam Medical College would take a decision on further action. “We are hoping for an improvement since the patient is a child. However, once the brain stem which controls basic body functions such as breathing and heart rate gets affected, then recovery would become almost impossible,” said a hospital source.“We are pushing, anti-biotics, pain killers, anti-epilepsy medicines and anti-oedema medicines just like the previous day. A decision on how long to continue the treatment would be taken by the medical board,” said a doctor.Doctors had earlier said that the boy was exhibiting ‘battered baby syndrome’ (injuries sustained by a child because of physical abuse by an adult caregiver) as he had several types of wounds in different phases of healing.The boy had suffered a subdural haemorrhage, a type of bleeding that often occurs outside the brain because of a severe head injury.Air had accumulated in his chest due to a leak in his lungs and tubes were inserted to release the same.

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