ABSTRACT
Which solutions to child care are proposed to parents just after the diagnosis of Down's syndrome? The situation of Down's syndrome babies born in 1980-89 and abandoned at birth in Paris was studied. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with medical and social staffs of 13 maternity hospitals where 60% of these DS babies were abandoned. In 10 years, 102 DS babies were given up to the Child Welfare Agency and to private adoption agencies. They represent 10% of all abandoned children at birth and 22% of DS live births in Paris. Relations between abandonment, type of maternity hospital and social class of parents are analysed. Several factors influence the parents' decision in planning for the child: handicap, advice and way of presenting alternatives: in 1/3 of the cases, adoption was proposed directly. In the great majority, the child abandonment was decided in a situation of emergency and profound emotional stress, and outside of the legal procedure. Health care workers should listen to parents more so they can be better informed about their child's prognosis and all care alternatives before making their decision.
Subject(s)
Child, Abandoned , Counseling/methods , Down Syndrome/diagnosis , Parents , Adoption , Adult , Child, Abandoned/statistics & numerical data , Down Syndrome/nursing , Female , Hospitals, Maternity , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Parents/education , Parents/psychology , Paris , Patient Care Team , Personnel, Hospital , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Most handicapped newborns that are abandoned suffer from Down's syndrome. This report describes the frequency of the practice. POPULATION AND METHODS: All children (95% less than 1 month old) born between 1985 and 1987 in Paris who were placed for adoption by approved agencies were included in this study. Sociofamilial, medical and psychological histories were collected. RESULTS: A total of 326 infants were abandoned during these 3 years. 38 (12%) of them had Down's syndrome. 25 of the 34 mothers were 30 years old or more. 23 of 27 infants had two known parents. 134 newborns with Down's syndrome were registered in Paris during this period. Thus 27.6% of the total number of Down's syndrome children were abandoned. 87.2% of the abandoned non-trisomic infants were adopted, versus 31.6% of those with Down's syndrome (10.5% died before adoption). The 19 children with Down's syndrome who were not adopted live in foster families. CONCLUSION: 2/3 of the mothers who have abandoned their trisomic infant were less than 35 years old and had a middle-class background. Further studies are necessary to better understand the emotional context of abandonment.
Subject(s)
Adoption , Child, Abandoned , Down Syndrome , Adult , Child, Abandoned/statistics & numerical data , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Maternal Age , Parents/psychology , Paris , ResearchABSTRACT
In France, the Child Welfare Service is the public agency responsible for the protection of children and adolescents. Since the enaction of the decentralization laws, this Service is under the authority of the president of the Regional Council of each district. The Child Welfare Service provides material and/or educational support to families and youngsters in need of help. It also ensures the placement of children, adolescents and youngsters of age in institutions or foster homes according to the therapeutic indication. The CWS's role is to prevent the disruption of families, promote the reconstruction of broken families, and ensure the adoption of neglected children. As a result of the intense efforts provided over a great number of years, the numbers of families and children eligible for CWS intervention are falling. In Paris, in 1987, 5,000 youngsters separated from their families benefited from CWS actions, and approximately one hundred neglected children were adopted into new families. In this article, we describe the current work of the CWS by means of a few figures and comments.
