Related Experiment Videos
Insights
Hospital abandonment affects nearly one-fifth of children in care. For many, admission is a key factor, highlighting critical issues in child welfare services.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Child Psychology
- Social Work
Background:
- Child abandonment in hospital settings presents significant challenges.
- Understanding the contributing factors to abandonment is crucial for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and factors associated with child abandonment in hospitals.
- To analyze the timing and circumstances of abandonment events.
Main Methods:
- A sample of sixty-eight children meeting a specific definition of abandonment was studied.
- Data was collected from six selected hospitals.
- Prevalence rates and contributing factors were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Nearly one-fifth of the total child population in the studied hospitals met the definition of abandonment.
- Approximately one-third of the sample experienced abandonment early in life.
- Hospital admission was identified as a significant factor in abandonment for the remaining children.
Conclusions:
- Child abandonment in hospitals is a notable issue, affecting a substantial portion of children.
- The timing of abandonment varies, with early life events and hospital admission being key periods.
- Further research and interventions are needed to address the factors contributing to hospital abandonment.
Abstract:
This study, financed by the Buttle Trust, investigates some aspects of the problems of abandonment of children in hospital, employing a sample of sixty-eight children from six selected hospitals, who meet a given definition of abandonment. Almost a fifth of the total population of children in the hospitals studied meet this definition; about a third of the sample are abandoned early in their lives, and for the remainder, admission itself appears to be a factor in abandonment.