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Doctors to remove 23 needles from woman
By Christopher Bodeen
Associated Press
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BEIJING -- Chinese surgeons will try to remove 23 needles from a woman that doctors believe may have been imbedded under her skin by grandparents trying to kill her so that a baby boy might take her place.

The needles - about an inch in length - were discovered by X-ray after Luo Cuifen, 29, went to doctors complaining of blood in her urine.

Many of the needles have worked their way into Luo's vital organs including her lungs, liver, bladder and kidneys, making their removal difficult, said Qu Rui, a spokesman for the Richland International Hospital in Yunnan province's capital, Kunming.

He said six of the 23 needles, all of them in the woman's abdomen, would be removed Tuesday in the first of several expected operations.

"Tomorrow's surgery carries a definite degree of risk," Qu said.

According to a hospital news release, Luo has for years suffered from severe depression and anxiety and long-term insomnia, and was completely unable to do any heavy lifting or hard physical labor.

The operation will involve 23 doctors in fields ranging from women's medicine to neurology and including bone specialists and cardiologists, the news release said. Doctors from Canada and the United States will join those from China in the operation.

Qu said doctors believe the woman's grandparents may have inserted the needles long ago, hoping she would die and her parents might have a boy in her place. China limits most families to just one child, although rural Chinese may be allowed to have a second if their first is a girl, subject to the payment of fines.

It wasn't clear whether further investigations into the case were planned, with media reports saying Luo's grandparents had already died.

In many parts of China, baby boys are still heavily favored over girls because they are bound by tradition to support their parents in their old age, and because they carry on the family name.

Infanticide and abortions of female fetuses have created a skewed ratio between the genders, with 119 boys reported born for every 100 girls, according to official figures. By comparison, the ratio in industrialized countries between 104 and 107 boys for every 100 girls.
Take a look
In this undated photo, an X-ray image of Chinese woman, Luo Cuifen, 29, released by Richland International Hospital, needles are seen in her body. Chinese surgeons planned to begin removing 23 needles from Luo, possibly imbedded under her skin by grandparents trying to kill her so that a baby boy might take her place, a hospital spokesman said Monday, Sept. 10, 2007. In many parts of China, baby boys are still heavily favored over girls because they are bound by tradition to support their parents in their old age, and because they carry on the family name. (AP Photo/Richland International Hospital, HO)
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Reader comments on this story - 6 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO wrote on Sep 11, 2007 6:22 AM:

" now THIS is a sticky situation!!!!!!! "

whoa wrote on Sep 10, 2007 8:44 PM:

" Hold on! These comments went way off . . .Back to the story, what a shame this woman, and others like her, have had to endure this. I hope and pray the doctors can help her live a better life. "

to Yo wrote on Sep 10, 2007 7:26 PM:

" So....how do you feel about the war? Pretty big stretch to make a story about a woman from China with needles in her body relate to the Iraq war. I am guessing you are a real BLAST at parties. "

Quackers wrote on Sep 10, 2007 6:14 PM:

" I was in a hole once. It was dark and scary. Then I realized it was a local Mcdonalds with the lights off. "

Hey Yo . . . wrote on Sep 10, 2007 4:53 PM:

" You make human life like its a joke. No wonder you dummycrats are just that - DUMMIES. Why don't you do everyone a favor and crawl in a hole . . . you know the rest. "

yo wrote on Sep 10, 2007 3:07 PM:

" someone send this story to W. Bush. I am sure we will be invading China next to save the children. We must do this, we did invade Iraq to save the people from being murder by Saddam and his boys. In China we would be saving unborn abd infants from their parents and the countries traditions. GO BUSH GO !! "
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