The invisible side of child protection: infant abandonment from the mothers’ perspective

Infant abandonment undermines fundamental rights, including prenatal care, healthcare access, early disability dedection, and identity through name and nationality. This qualitative phenomenological study examines infant abandonment within child protection, focusing on risks to infants, mothers’ needs, and required social services. In-depth interviews with 29 mothers who left newborns in maternity hospitals were conducted between December 2021 and June 2023. Abondenment was linked to psychiatric problems, unwanted pregnancy, substance abuse, sexual violence, limited support, and socioeconomic hardship. Mothers described fear, guilt, disrupted education, and absent prenatal care, yet some hoped for future reunification. Early, holistic, legally enforced interventions are essential.