Father bites baby on face

A frustrated Rotorua father bit his 4-week-old baby on the face after the boy would not stop crying.

Carl Anthony St Clair-Newman, a 31-year-old beneficiary, appeared in the Rotorua District Court yesterday after earlier pleading guilty to assaulting a child.

On December 1, St Clair-Newman's partner called him from her Papamoa home asking him to help her look after their baby because she was tired, police said.

His partner went to sleep about 11pm but a short time later the couple's baby, who was almost 5 weeks old, started crying. St Clair-Newman changed the baby's nappies and gave him a bottle.

He became worried when the baby would not stop crying and tried to suckle the baby on the lip, as he had seen his partner do. However, the baby kept crying and St Clair-Newman became frustrated, biting down on the top of the baby's lip and nose, piercing the skin.

St Clair-Newman woke his partner.

They could not stop the bleeding and took the baby to Tauranga Hospital where he was given antibiotics and spent a few days in hospital.

The baby had teeth marks and cuts to his upper lip and a cut to his nose. St Clair-Newman later told police he bit the child as he was stressed about his crying.

Rotorua child health agencies are urging parents to seek help before they become too stressed.

Family Start clinical supervisor Maria Oliver said parents should not wait until they became "hugely frustrated" and "absolutely stressed".

"People need to recognise their levels of stress and recognise what triggers them."

"Pick up a phone and ring someone you trust."

Parents could take time out by getting family to look after children, she suggested.

They could also contact their GP's practice nurse, a plunket nurse or a Well Child provider.

Mrs Oliver said many organisations also ran parenting courses including her own, Family Works (formerly James Family), Open Home Foundation, and Barnardos.

When St Clair-Newman pleaded guilty to the charge late last year, he was remanded to Mana Social Services for a restorative justice programme to be considered.

Kevin Lee of Mana Social Services said in court yesterday a report had been completed but more time was needed for St Clair-Newman to complete 30 sessions of counselling.

Judge Chris McGuire remanded St Clair-Newman on bail for sentencing on April 26.