Saudi nurses sacked for squashing baby's head

Woman pushes and pulls the baby's head to contort its face into different positions

The nurses were initially suspended while authorities investigated on Wednesday (Snapshot)

Three nurses in Saudi Arabia have been fired after a video emerged of a woman squashing the head of a baby.

In footage shared widely on social media, an unnamed person is seen pushing and pulling the baby's head to contort its face into different positions.

Various versions of the video were viewed on YouTube tens of thousands of times, and it has sparked outrage online after it was widely reported in Saudi media.

The nurses – who worked at a maternity hospital in Taif, a city around 90km from Mecca – were initially suspended while authorities investigated on Wednesday.

Minister of Health, Tawfik al-Rabie told the Saudi Gazette: "The Health Affairs investigated the source of the video and was able to identify the nurses who appeared in the video and the hospital where the incident took place.

"The nurses were immediately suspended by the order of Director of Taif Health Affairs Saleh Al-Muanis."

Hours later, the Ministry of Health announced the nurses had been fired and their medical licenses revoked.

The ministry has also issued a statement on Twitter, saying the nurses' actions were an affront to the "dignity and safety" of the baby.