Abandoned baby boy doing well

The newborn baby found abandoned on the doorsteps of an Amalinda house is healthy and doing well, according to Child Welfare director Soraya Leeuw.

The little boy, who is less than a week old, was given a clean bill of health and discharged from hospital on Tuesday.

He is now housed in a place of safety while he awaits placement

UNCERTAIN FUTURE: The baby that was found abandoned

He was named Ntando by staff members at the hospital.

The baby boy was found at a Haven Hill’s teacher’s home at the weekend wrapped in a male T-shirt and jacket, with a written note from his mother.

In the letter, the mother said she abandoned the baby to save him from his father, who wanted to sell him.

The mother ran away with the baby and abandoned him at the woman’s doorstep, saying she could not allow him to come to harm as the baby was innocent.

She gave the baby’s birth date as September 14.

Leeuw yesterday said the baby was doing well and had been put in a place of safety while investigations into his abandonment were ongoing.

“It takes about three months for a baby to be placed, and because he was abandoned, we are exploring the option of adoption,” she said.

Leeuw said she believed social circumstances caused mothers to act out of desperation.

“People live in destitute environments out there. Some circumstances place expectant mothers in very hard positions where they cannot cope.

“Awareness must be spread so that mothers know that there is help.”

“We can look at it in two ways and question her actions, but for what it’s worth, Child Welfare centres are the best options to leave unwanted babies.

“Intervention could have been made even for the mother in this situation. We have put processes in place to make sure that she could also have received the support she needed,” Leeuw said.

A case of abandonment has been opened against the mother in question.

Police spokesman Captain Nkosikho Mzuku yesterday said there were no new developments in their investigations.

DispatchLIVE/Nonsindiso Qwabe

 

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