In Surabaya, Indonesia, a 36-year-old babysitter from South Sulawesi has been charged under local laws for allegedly feeding a two-year-old child appetite stimulants and steroids for over a year. The babysitter confessed to police that she gave the toddler the medications in order to see him gain weight. However, it was determined that the babysitter did not have the necessary knowledge or health education to be administering such medications. The toddler has gained over 6kg in a year and now weighs 19kg, due to the medications given.
The mother of the toddler, Linggra Kartika, discovered the misuse of medications when she found blue and orange pills that were being used to facilitate her son’s weight gain. The toddler had been receiving these medications from September 2023 to August 2024 without the mother’s knowledge. The medications were bought by the babysitter through an online marketplace for a very low cost. The medications given to the child were steroid dexamethasone and appetite stimulant cyproheptadine, which are typically used for adults and not suitable for children. Linggra Kartika reported the case to the police on August 30 and the babysitter was arrested on September 27.
Following the arrest of the babysitter, Linggra Kartika has been sharing her story on social media, where she has received messages from other mothers who have encountered similar experiences with babysitters giving medications to children. These incidents illustrate a potential wider trend of babysitters feeding children under their care appetite stimulants as a common practice. The East Java Regional Police team is investigating other cases of babysitters feeding children with such medications, as the arrested woman claimed that this practice is common among her fellow babysitter friends.
The police are examining the suspect’s mobile phone conversations with other babysitters to gather more information about the use of medications and stimulants on children. Linggra Kartika is continuing to raise awareness about this issue through her social media platforms, where she has received messages from other mothers sharing their own experiences of babysitters administering medications to children. The case has sparked a discussion about the importance of proper training and regulations for babysitters to ensure the safety and well-being of children under their care. Linggra Kartika has also shared that she is sending her son for regular appointments at a medical institute in Singapore for further treatment and monitoring.
