Demographic and clinical characteristics of infants abandoned after delivery in the hospital – single center experience

Abstract

Introduction and Objectives: Abandonment of newborn babies is one of the biggest problems faced by hospitals all over the world, both financially and socially. As in the conditions of Turkey, the most important causes of infant abandonment in developed and developing countries, apart from the reasons such as poverty, parental death, divorce, and illness, are the unidentified fathers of babies abandoned by their mothers in the last period, and the use of illegal substances (including cigarettes, alcohol), significant increases in rejection rates are observed. In this study, we aimed to determine the risk factors by evaluating the demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics of babies who were abandoned in the hospital after birth. Methods: Newborns born in Ankara City Hospital between September 2019 and October 2021 and abandoned by their mother in the hospital and given to the Social Services and Child Protection Agency were included in the study. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data of the patients were recorded from the hospital data system and patient files. Results: A total of 26 infants were included in the study. More than half of the mothers of the babies (n: 15 (57%)) were not followed up in our hospital. There was illicit substance use in six mothers, and smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy in four mothers. The most commonly used illegal substance was heroin 3/6 (50%). Conclusion: Family planning, improvement of education level, completion of public service announcement and training of young people on sexual development, social awareness should be made, and it is necessary to always be in contact with the Social Services and Protection Agency.