These images show the shocking swelling suffered by a one-day-old newborn whose mother put an elastic band around their arm to hold their sleeve up – and then forgot about it.

The mother, name not reported, admits she forgot about the elastic band after putting it on, and that her husband saw the tot’s severely swollen arm only the following morning.

To keep the baby’s sleeve up, the mother, who comes from the city of Chenzhou in the Chinese province of Hunan, put the elastic band around the minor’s arm.

After the baby’s condition was spotted around 12 hours after the elastic band partially cut off blood supply to the tot’s left arm, the parents hurried to a nearby hospital for medical care.

Xie Yuee, vice president of the North Hospital (Children’s Hospital) of the Chenzhou No.1 People’s Hospital, said: “After 12 hours with the bands on, the child’s arm became severely swollen, ischemic, and turned purple in colour. The condition was very serious.”

The baby was sent to the hospital’s ICU and treatment was started immediately.

After five days of care, involving a multidisciplinary medical team, the child’s arm returned to normal and the family was allowed to take the newborn home on 15th November.