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Incidents of concealment of birth and child abandonment continue to plague communities across the country.
According to police in the North West, only three cases of concealment of birth were reported in the province between October 2023 and March this year. However, many incidents go unreported.
In one of the latest cases, residents of Lotlhakane Village in Mahikeng were shocked when body parts of a newborn baby were allegedly found abandoned by dogs.
Concealment of birth poses significant risks to both mother and child, especially if the pregnancy is hidden.
Fertility specialist, Dr Qinisile Cele elaborates, ”It is a very risky and life threatening act to conceal a pregnancy and even a birth. So these include things like hypertension in pregnancy which can lead to strokes, the mother fitting which is eclampsia and risking her life, and when it comes to delivering on your own without any medical attendance, that also is quite risky because the mother can bleed or haemorrhage even to the risk of death.”
Spokesperson for the Department of Health in the North West, Tebogo Lekgethwane, highlights the factors contributing to the abandonment of babies and points out several safe options available for desperate mothers.
“We can decide, based on the person’s opinions or beliefs, to put the baby up for adoption if that’s what they want to opt for. But, of course, the C-TOP [Choice on Termination of Pregnancy] is an option. We think it’s the last option in the sense that there are so many things that can be done before a person even comes to C-TOP… illegal abortion is another issue that is really hampering this kind of service,” says Lekgethwane.
Is enough being done to protect children in SA?
