Parents disciplining their children with the rod is quite common, especially among Asian families. However, if done excessively, it can lead to dire consequences.
A boy in China nearly succumbed to kidney failure after enduring relentless spankings on the butt from his mother, causing him to be unable to urinate normally.
Spanked repeatedly on butt by mother
According to Sin Chew Daily, a 9-year-old boy named Xiao Wu (pseudonym) from Zhejiang, China, would often be spanked on the buttocks by his mother for misbehaving. However, unlike most children, he would hold his peace afterwards.
One day, his mother thought that he was throwing a silent tantrum and spanked him with a broom, resulting in great pain for him and a panicked trip to the hospital.
Local media reports said that Xiao Wu kept covering his stomach while at the emergency room while his mother begged doctors to save his life.
A medical examination later found that Xiao Wu had acute kidney failure due to the repeated spankings and he was rushed to the haemodialysis centre, where he eventually escaped a potential death.
Spankings caused by stress
It was also revealed that Xiao Wu had been living with his mother since his parents’ divorce.
In the beginning, his mother brought him up with much patience. However, her patience wore thin due to stress and Xiao Wu’s occasional disobedience, which led her to beat his buttocks to “teach him a lesson”.
Adding to the problem was Xiao Wu’s shy and introverted personality, where he would stay silent after getting punished, which only made his mother angrier and use a broom to discipline him.
Which body parts should be avoided?
According to Sohu, here are other body parts that parents should avoid hitting aside from the buttocks:
- Ears – There are many small neural connections between the ears and the brain. Twisting a child’s ears frequently can potentially harm the child’s brain.
- Back of the head – The back of the head is considered a vital “life switch” and brain damage may occur if it’s severely injured.
- Temples – This is the weakest part of the skull. If injured, it can cause dizziness and even life-threatening conditions. Additionally, it is closely related to a child’s vision, so injuring it may pose a risk of blindness.
- Back – When parents punish their children, they often whip their backs, believing that the back is sturdy. In reality, a child’s body has not fully developed and their physique is quite fragile. Regularly hitting a child’s back may cause internal injuries and impair their intelligence.
Instead, parents are encouraged to teach and discipline their children in a calm and reasoned manner and not lash out at them in anger.
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