Removal of Aboriginal infants in a hospital setting: Examining practices

In Australia there are disproportionately higher rates of Aboriginal infant removals often occurring in a hospital-setting. It is a highly sensitive and traumatising time for mothers, fathers, families, and communities.

This study explored the social and cultural care practices within a hospital in the lead up to and following the removal of Aboriginal Australian infant/s.

This study involved the review of 71 mother's casefiles involving all 75 Aboriginal infants removed in a South Australian specialist birthing hospital in Australia from 2019 to 2022.

Decolonising critical research, employing a multiple-case study design was conducted through case-file review. This allowed for questioning practices and assessing the impact of broader societal factors on individual cases. The data extraction tool was co-developed by researchers and the Aboriginal Health team. Cross-case analysis was reported using frequency distributions and a decolonising critical lens was used to interpret the data examining how voices may be silenced or excluded.

The study found even though 60 % of mothers presented to the hospital in the first two trimesters of their pregnancy, mothers were rarely advised of the possible or imminent removal of the Aboriginal infant. There were patterns of deficit-based assessments and documentation. There was a lack of documented evidence that attempts were made to engage the mother, Aboriginal kinship systems or Aboriginal Healthcare Providers in the provision of cultural and social care throughout the mothers' perinatal journey, suggesting systemic racism.

This has implications for the provision of patient-centred care respecting the rights and dignity of the mother and the attachment needs of the Aboriginal infant.