Socio demographic characteristics of women who leave their babies to social services after giving birth in Turkey

Abstract

Context: It has been known that parents leave their newborn babies under government protection due to various social, cultural, and economic reasons, unwanted pregnancies being one of the most important reasons. Aims: The aim of the study was to examine the sociodemographic and life characteristics of mothers who had to leave their newborn babies to social services after giving birth. Settings and Design: Using a qualitative research approach, this research was conducted in the qualitative document analysis design. Materials and Methods: The data were obtained from the social review reports (electronic) of 66 mothers who gave birth and left their newborn babies to social services between 2010 and 2019 in a hospital in the city center of Izmir, Turkey. Statistical Analysis Used: The electronic data (number: 1–66) in these reports were analyzed by descriptive and content analysis methods. Results: Most of the mothers were had 2 years of education (n = 17), were not officially married (n = 31), and worked in an environment open to abuse (n = 6). Six themes were obtained from the data analysis including family status and living with the spouse/partner, pre- and post-pregnancy residence, the process of abandoning the infant, pregnancy process and health problems, sharing pregnancy news and safety, and the conception of pregnancy and the legal process. Conclusions: This study revealed that mothers who leave their infant to social services have several high-risk sociodemographic and life characteristics, predominantly related to lifestyle, residence, pregnancy experience, and sexual violence. Midwives and other healthcare professionals can help improve mother/infant health by considering these risk groups, while providing the prepregnancy, pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care services and by providing support to mothers who want to leave their infant to social services.