Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-5lx2p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-27T23:13:24.732Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Prevention of neonaticide and abandonment from a prenatal stage in France

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

C.J. Bonnet
C.J. Bonnet*
Affiliation:
Child and Family Service, The Gem Centre, Wednesfield, West Midlands, United Kingdom

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

From 1987 to 2002, I followed nine women who killed their baby newborn and nearly ninety women who denied their pregnancy or their delivery in Paris area. A comparison between the clinical findings of the two groups led me to identify prevention strategy at a prenatal stage:

1. Detecting harmful thoughts towards the baby before birth

Among the women who denied or concealed their pregnancy some revealed having negative or violent impulse thoughts against the foetus after the end of pregnancy denial. Some also displayed suicidal impulse thoughts. These harmful thoughts decreased after they spoke out past traumatic sexual abuse, especially if the foetus was the result of rape.

2. Listening and planning the delivery time

Some were not able to content their thoughts and act out them in beating up their abdomen and consequently the foetus. They felt so guilty they avoided planning the delivery time as a consequence. Some have killed their child because they were afraid to explain this to healthcare professionals. They denied the birth and delivered alone.

3. Offering an anonymous welcome if they wish to do so

I observed that to welcome with anonymity before birth increased their care for the future of the newborn.

Type
S43. Symposium: Female Offender Patients in Europe
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 22 , Issue S1: 15th AEP Congress - Abstract book - 15th AEP Congress , March 2007 , pp. S70
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2007

References

Literature references

Bonnet, C.Geste d'amour, (Gesture of love). Paris: Odile Jacob (Book in French, translated in Croatian): 1990Google Scholar
Condom, J.T.The battered fetus syndrom. Preliminary data on the incidence of the urge to physically abuse the unborn child. J Ment Dis 1987; 76: 722–725Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.