Depressed mother penetrating her Baby's heart with a sewing needle during COVID-19 lockdown: A case report

BACKGROUND: The full lockdown was carried out in China as well as in other countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it proved to be effective in reducing the rate of transmission in the early stage of the pandemic. However, the negative effects of full lockdown on human mental health should be taken into consideration. CASE PRESENTATION: During COVID-19 lockdown, a 3-month-old male infant was injured with a sewing needle penetrating into his heart by his mother with postpartum depression. The mother had a history of depression, and she reported depressive feelings during quarantine before injuring the infant. In addition, her own mother's health condition had worsened lately following long-term stroke sequelae. These factors may have contributed to her new depressive episode, which caused her to injure her baby with a threaded sewing needle with no witness. The injury was discovered the next day by the infant's paternal grandmother. The baby received an emergency sewing needle removal operation and recovered uneventfully. CONCLUSIONS: Special attention should be paid to persons with a high risk of mental disorder during this pandemic, in order to avoid devastating adverse events or deterioration of conditions for them and those around them.