Three months ago, Rajeswari Karnan of Nedimoliyur, India gave birth to a healthy baby boy, reports The Hindu.  Nine days after Rahul was born, his mother found him in flames, with no explanation as to how the fire started.  Others from her village assumed that Rajeswari had set her son on fire intentionally.  In the following months, three more incidents occurred where they found baby Rahul in flames with no explanation.  Rahul was then referred to the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Admitted into the pediatric intensive care unit, Rahul’s bed always had a fire extinguisher and a bucket of water nearby.  The medical team researched the circumstances and found that, over the past 300 years, there have been 200 cases reported of spontaneous human combustion.  It is an extremely rare, but scientifically documented condition in which air excreted from the body can cause spontaneous combustion.  Heavy drinking in elderly individuals can increase the risk by excreting alcohol-like substances that are extremely flammable.  The most recent reported case was in 1995 when a 73-year-old man in Wales died in his sleep after going up in flames.

According to ABC News, doctors have not found any medical evidence to confirm spontaneous human combustion.  Doctors performed a number of tests meant to indicate abnormalities, but none have been found.  As a result, doctors have ruled out spontaneous human combustion and the likely cause of the flames is more common.  They suspect that the flames started accidentally or are the result of abuse.

The Times of India reports that Rahul will stay in Chennai even though he is being released from the hospital after child rights activists brought in the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW).  Given that they suspect the child has been in danger because of accidents or abuse, the threat is not medical but human.  The ICCW will place him where he will receive additional protection.  However, the ICCW is not investigating the case, but only offering counseling to the parents.  As a result, they still need the approval of the parents in order to place Rahul in a protective facility.

The parents are also asking for protection because they fear going back to their village if people think they abused their child, reports the Mirror.  Doctors have not found an actual cause of the start of the flames, but without a report by the doctor or a parent, the police cannot investigate abuse.