The killing of a newborn baby within the first 24 hours of its life is far more common than previously realised.<\/p>\n
Though considered to be rare, the number of neonaticides is more than five times higher than official estimates say.<\/p>\n
The new research published online in the Fetal and Neonatal edition of the Archives of Disease in Childhood, finds that low self-esteem and emotional immaturity rather than mental health issues and social disadvantage are the main causes.<\/p>\n
The French research reviewed case records and psychiatric assessment of the mothers from cases presented at 26 courts in three regions of France where the death of a newborn child was involved.<\/p>\n
A third of the cases were found to be unlawful killings during a baby’s first day of life.
\nResearchers reviewed the records of the cases, analysing the characteristics where the mother had been involved.<\/p>\n
The typical profile of a mother who had killed a child was found to be one who lived with the dead child’s father, most likely already having had at least three children, aged around 26 years and held down jobs.<\/p>\n
The authors of the research conclude: \u201cFeeling very much alone, and for nearly half of them, depressed, [these women] probably did not have complete control over their lives or their sexuality.<\/p>\n
\u201cNeonaticide thus appears as a solution when an unwanted pregnancy risks creating a family scandal, or the loss of one\u2019s partner or a satisfying lifestyle.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur findings suggest that preventive action, targeting only young, poor, unemployed and single women, or women in pregnancy denial, may not be appropriate.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The killing of a newborn baby within the first 24 hours of its life is far more common than previously<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bristol-news"],"yoast_head":"\n