TX - Abandoned infant found in grocery bag, Houston

[Ballerina]

I agree the advertising needs to be better, though I don't know that many of the woman who abandon their newborns had any prenatal care or gave birth at a hospital or birthing center.

I'm not sure of the best way to get this information out to women, maybe start giving this information out in health class in middle school? I'm suggesting middle school because some are already active at that age and I'm not sure about the drop out rates. I would prefer this info gets to all teens before they are able to drop out.

Learning it in school would be a great way to get the information out. I'm in my 20's (a little over the "teen mom" age, admittedly) and I would not have known about safe haven laws if it weren't for Law and Order SVU reruns on my days off from class, sadly. I think that's why we see stories so often about babies found in bags in trashcans. I always doubt that the action of leaving a newborn in the trash done from "not caring about the baby"- the mother carried that baby to term. She cared enough to not abort. The problem is, the mother is too young or too low-income to have options. She can't keep the baby, she doesn't know how to find someone to adopt the baby, so out of fear and naivety she thinks she has no other options. It's selfish, but the mother really thinks she has no other choice. She could be forced to give birth in secret and no one is there to tell her she can leave it at the hospital.

I was born in Houston. Some of my extended family is in different parts of Houston, especially the Cypress area like Chloe. I went to middle school and high school in school districts associated with the Houston area. And even though we were taught all kinds of information about how to NOT have a baby, and how terrible having a baby young would be (you know, the "carry a sack of flour around and pretend it's a baby for a week" project), we were NEVER informed of Safe Haven laws. We were never told "Hey, you don't have to abandon your baby in a trashcan if you can't keep it. You can leave him or her at any of these places and you won't be punished, and it's anonymous." Not in middle or high school were we ever told about this.

I'm so grateful that someone found beautiful baby chloe in time. And I have to wonder why advertising of safe haven laws in school isn't more prominent. We push safe sex and abstinence, but why don't we deal with what will happen if you DO get pregnant? Maybe we would see a decline in abandoned newborns in unsafe areas if young girls were taught from an early age that they do have this alternative. Makes me wonder who to contact to get the ball rolling for better safe haven advertising in Texas, actually.

 

[jjenny]

I really don't think that someone leaving a baby in a plastic bag "cared not to abort." Abortion is pro-active. You need to make an effort to get an abortion.
And leaving baby in a plastic bag doesn't suggest someone making any effort. Women who dump their children don't usually get prenatal care or even acknowledge being pregnant.

 

[Cubby]

Learning it in school would be a great way to get the information out. I'm in my 20's (a little over the "teen mom" age, admittedly) and I would not have known about safe haven laws if it weren't for Law and Order SVU reruns on my days off from class, sadly. I think that's why we see stories so often about babies found in bags in trashcans. I always doubt that the action of leaving a newborn in the trash done from "not caring about the baby"- the mother carried that baby to term. She cared enough to not abort. The problem is, the mother is too young or too low-income to have options. She can't keep the baby, she doesn't know how to find someone to adopt the baby, so out of fear and naivety she thinks she has no other options. It's selfish, but the mother really thinks she has no other choice. She could be forced to give birth in secret and no one is there to tell her she can leave it at the hospital.

I was born in Houston. Some of my extended family is in different parts of Houston, especially the Cypress area like Chloe. I went to middle school and high school in school districts associated with the Houston area. And even though we were taught all kinds of information about how to NOT have a baby, and how terrible having a baby young would be (you know, the "carry a sack of flour around and pretend it's a baby for a week" project), we were NEVER informed of Safe Haven laws. We were never told "Hey, you don't have to abandon your baby in a trashcan if you can't keep it. You can leave him or her at any of these places and you won't be punished, and it's anonymous." Not in middle or high school were we ever told about this.

I'm so grateful that someone found beautiful baby chloe in time. And I have to wonder why advertising of safe haven laws in school isn't more prominent. We push safe sex and abstinence, but why don't we deal with what will happen if you DO get pregnant? Maybe we would see a decline in abandoned newborns in unsafe areas if young girls were taught from an early age that they do have this alternative. Makes me wonder who to contact to get the ball rolling for better safe haven advertising in Texas, actually.

I think carrying to full term is not a choice, per say. Due to poverty and age it's possible the belief there are no choices begins with the earliest stages of pregnancy, from the time the first period is missed.

I fully agree with the rest of your post. Especially the part that we push safe sex, birth control, abstinence, and telling someone of abuse, but we never ever offer the option of safe haven as choice.

I wish we could find a way to get this info to students beginning in middle school and make it as commonly known as the whole say no to drugs thing.

I wonder how many of the mothers who abandon their newborns are minors who don't believe they can go to their parents. Why aren't we teaching them to tell someone else like we do for those suffering from abuse?

 

[michmi]

Surely you aren't suggesting that women who have home births are more likely to abandon their child than those who give birth in a hospital?

I hope this little sweetie has a wonderful and happy life

No, that certainly isn't what she was suggesting. A woman who has a planned home birth with a midwife/doula and a woman giving birth on a bathroom floor or on the toilet at home are two separate things. She was referring to the latter.

The baby is so adorable and she even has a tooth! It troubles me that they are going to try to find the parent(s) and then they have to get PERMISSION for the child to be adopted by someone who wants her. Arghhh

 

[Gardenlady]

I'm glad to hear some hospitals are covering this at birth time. My last was born in 06, and nothing was mentioned. And though I theoretically knew of Safe Haven laws, I never knew my hometown had one until recently, when I saw some of the signs at downtown intersections.

It's not only teen girls who give birth in secret that abandon their babies. Adult women do it too. And what's more, it's not just abandoned babies who benefit from Safe Haven laws - its also babies who are delivered in hospital but might be at high risk of abuse from a caregiver once at home.

 

[Ballerina]

I think carrying to full term is not a choice, per say. Due to poverty and age it's possible the belief there are no choices begins with the earliest stages of pregnancy, from the time the first period is missed.

I fully agree with the rest of your post. Especially the part that we push safe sex, birth control, abstinence, and telling someone of abuse, but we never ever offer the option of safe haven as choice.

I wish we could find a way to get this info to students beginning in middle school and make it as commonly known as the whole say no to drugs thing.

I wonder how many of the mothers who abandon their newborns are minors who don't believe they can go to their parents. Why aren't we teaching them to tell someone else like we do for those suffering from abuse?

That's exactly what I'm getting at, thank you! :blushing: How many minors become young mothers who don't think they can go to their parents? We need a health class or something else through the middle or high school system giving kids their options (such as where to find support, adoption info, safe haven law info... etc) because even with all the safe sex precautions, pregnancy can still happen. We need to address what happens if you do indeed get pregnant, as well as how to prevent it.

Jjenny, you are correct. My use of the word "care" was perhaps too strong concerning the situation at hand. What I meant was, there could be a young mother who doesn't want to abort her child due to personal beliefs/cannot access an abortion even if she wanted one, but past that point doesn't know what to do with her child.

And yes, some who abandon their children just don't give a crap about the child or the pregnancy. Absolutely true!

But my previous post was more addressing the minors who are faced with pregnancy. Young girls could be abandoning their children because they carried the baby to term in secret best they could and now don't know what to do with themselves or the child. They don't get pre natal care possibly because they don't know about it (I for one can't remember any health programs in school telling us anything about pregnancy beyond "don't smoke and drink when you're pregnant". There's no mention of the steps you should take for a healthy baby if you DO get pregnant), or because they cannot access/afford something like that on their own anyways. They don't know they can legally leave the baby at certain places without punishment and in full anonymity once they give birth. Like Cubby was getting at, we need to teach young girls that they can tell someone about their pregnancy without suffering consequences.

 

[katydid23]

Surely you aren't suggesting that women who have home births are more likely to abandon their child than those who give birth in a hospital?

I hope this little sweetie has a wonderful and happy life

I think that most of the babies abandoned in bags are home births. But NOT the happy, healthy home births involving help from loved ones and mid-wives.

I am talking about secret home births, hidden from parents, and taking place alone in a bathroom. :cry:

 

[TheDuchess]

She has been placed in a foster home after spending time in the hospital for observation. She is such a cutie and I'd love to adopt her . I am sure they will have no problem finding her forever family.

They will need to do a search for the father as well. Perhaps he has no idea or has a hunch. Then, if no one steps forward, the baby can be adopted. As an adoptive mother of 3, I can't imagine how thrilled someone will be to call this beautiful child their own.

In the garbarge in a plastic bag??? Really??? I don't get it. That poor little thing would have surely died a horrible death, between suffocating and freezing to death! This girl could certainly have dropped her off at a safe place. So sad, but thankfully a happy ending...this time!

 

[Jan]

What a gorgeous, precious little baby girl! She is exactly what most parents want when they have a baby, or when they adopt one. I hope she will end up in a wonderful home.

 

[wantjustice]

Saw a news article yesterday stating that the staff has received calls from all over the world requesting to adopte Chloe . That makes me happy! Although, I am not surprised. I too want to adopt her. Such a precious angel!

 

[jjenny]

They will need to do a search for the father as well. Perhaps he has no idea or has a hunch. Then, if no one steps forward, the baby can be adopted. As an adoptive mother of 3, I can't imagine how thrilled someone will be to call this beautiful child their own.

In the garbarge in a plastic bag??? Really??? I don't get it. That poor little thing would have surely died a horrible death, between suffocating and freezing to death! This girl could certainly have dropped her off at a safe place. So sad, but thankfully a happy ending...this time!

I hope they don't find parents at this point. Because CPS will try to "reunite" the child with parents.
Just give the child a shot at a better life through adoption.

 

[LarkBunting]

What a sweet baby. I want her, too!
I'm a proud homebirthing mama, including an unplanned unassisted birth (ie., alone in my bathroom) when baby #2 decided to come NOW!
Though, I realize this is not what PP meant when mentioning unassisted births.
I, too, wish people like this baby's birth-parents would utilize Safe Havens. My heart breaks to think of any baby abandoned to die...
May Chloe have a blessed life!

 

[Cubby]

I'm glad to hear some hospitals are covering this at birth time. My last was born in 06, and nothing was mentioned. And though I theoretically knew of Safe Haven laws, I never knew my hometown had one until recently, when I saw some of the signs at downtown intersections.

It's not only teen girls who give birth in secret that abandon their babies. Adult women do it too. And what's more, it's not just abandoned babies who benefit from Safe Haven laws - its also babies who are delivered in hospital but might be at high risk of abuse from a caregiver once at home.

BBM. In my area, I see lots and lots of signs in many places (medical offices, churches) for those who are victims of domestic violence. They read (paraphrased) Are you afraid of someone you love? with a list of behaviors that are considered abuse and a hotline to call.

It would be just as easy, imo, to put similiar signs up regarding safe haven laws with a hotline number to call to talk to a counselor of some sort and get more information. They can be anonymous calls like crime stoppers.

 

[Wanting2Help]

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Judge-decides-Baby-Chloe-will-remain-with-4327180.php

CPS officials said they hope relatives will come forward so that she can be placed with them or that an adoptive family will have an idea of her background and family medical history. CPS is required to first consider a relative as a custodian if appropriate family members are willing and able to raise the child.

Chloe is living with a dual foster and adoptive family, who will be eligible for adoption if interested in permanently taking care of her.

Her relatives' rights have not yet been terminated, but in such cases when the parents are unknown that process is expedited, Olguin said

 

[tlcya]

such a cutie patootie. Just keep coming back in to look at the pic and video of this little cutie.

 

[laura08]

http://gma.yahoo.com/cops-abandoned...h-parents-183407713--abc-news-topstories.html pictures of what Chloes mother and father may look like.

 

[Sonya610]

I wonder if they do DNA matching on these abandoned kids to see if they are related to anyone in the criminal justice system?

 

[Caligram]

Such a beautiful baby, and fortunate that she was found while still alive. I am sure that she will be adopted quickly given the opportunity to grow up loved and protected.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

Baby Chloe, newborn left in a Walmart bag three months ago, is one step closer to being adopted


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...hs-ago-step-closer-adopted.html#ixzz2UGFeRMVD

 

[jjenny]

I am actually very glad these parents have not been found. At least CPS is not going to have a chance of reuniting this child with someone who dropped her off in a bag.