Abandoned Babies While it Is

Abandoned Babies While it is unthinkable to most people, experts say that over 12,000 babies are abandoned by their mothers shortly after birth every year (Collins, PAGE). Sometimes these babies live and are put into foster care and eventually adopted. Sometimes they are abandoned while alive but die before being found, and sometimes the birth mother kills the child herself.

Obviously the babies who are found, put into foster care and eventually adopted are the most fortunate, but research suggests that the abandonment of these babies may put an unfortunate burden on their growing personality. Research indicates that babies may well imprint their mother while still in the womb. In fact, psychologists who used to think that consciousness developed after birth now suggest that it exists through a significant portion of fetal development (Rand, PAGE).

Once most babies are born, the mother bonds with the baby, and the baby with the mother. This maternal bond is crucial to the baby's psychological well-being. A baby who has bonded with its mother knows love and feels safe, not fearful (Rand, PAGE). In addition, it affects how this child will relate to others later in life. It will affect how well that person develops intimacy with others as well as a sense of safe autonomy (Hartman, David).

If the child bonds well with its mother, the world seems a safe place. If that bonding does not take place, all of the baby's connections to the rest of the world are undependable and insecure (Rand, PAGE). However, although we know that abandoned babies have not bonded with their mothers, there are some realities about the women who resort to such a drastic act. Often the woman has AIDS, or is a drug user. She may be homeless.

Often these babies have been conceived in what the mother sees as exceptionally shameful circumstances, such as incest or rape (Collins, PAGE). This raises the question of whether the would have bonded well with the baby had she not abandoned it. In addition, maternal actions under such circumstances an be perplexing. In one case, a young woman gave birth to a live baby in secret out of shame. She did not seek medical help for fear that family would find out she was pregnant.

Unfortunately she did not know she needed to clear mucus from his nose and mouth, and the child suffocated. Rather than disposing of his little body, she kept it hidden but close to her for two days until her boyfriend finally alerted her parents (Moll, PAGE). Researchers do know the effect that poor bonding can have on the developing child. These children may appear as angry, ambivalent to the parent or resistant to relating to the parent.

When separated from their mothers, they may kick or cling anxiously to the mother. or, they may be indifferent. However, if the child is upset, the mother's efforts to comfort the child do not work, and they remain distressed (Hartman, David). Such children easily feel threatened. Without that maternal bonding, the world is not as safe as it should be for them. In addition, insecure infants' reaction to poor bonding interferes with how they relate to the world in important ways, because they are reluctant to explore their world.

They don't feel safe, and mother's attentions don't make them feel better. While this response makes sense it restricts their activity (Hartman, David). This information suggests specific interventions that might be appropriate when an infant has.