Lee A C W, Li C H, Kwong N S, So K T
Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Tuen Mun Hospital, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Med J. 2006 Feb;12(1):61-4.
We report two cases of newborn death and two cases of near-miss newborn death. One neonate was strangled to death after delivery in the hospital and one died from lethal congenital malformations. The third was found on the verge of death after being abandoned in a dumpster. The fourth was rescued from the toilet bowl by the mother's boyfriend while the mother was in a state of panic. In the three cases where the infants' maternal identities were known, the women were all primiparous and aged 22, 13, and 17 years. The paternity was extramarital, incestuous, and concealed, respectively. Denial or concealment of pregnancy was present in all cases, but none of the women had any overt psychiatric manifestations at the time of delivery. Neonaticide and newborn abandonment are closely associated with denial of pregnancy, and are serious forms of childhood victimisation. Their occurrence in Hong Kong is poorly understood and no representative figures are available. A concerted effort among the health care, social work, and judicial professionals is needed to define the scope of the problem and devise preventive measures.
我们报告了两例新生儿死亡病例和两例新生儿濒死病例。一名新生儿在医院分娩后被勒死，另一名死于致命的先天性畸形。第三名新生儿被弃置于垃圾桶后被发现时处于濒死状态。第四名新生儿在母亲惊慌失措时被母亲的男友从马桶中救出。在已知婴儿母亲身份的三起案例中，这些女性均为初产妇，年龄分别为22岁、13岁和17岁。父亲身份分别为婚外情、乱伦和隐瞒。所有案例中均存在否认或隐瞒怀孕的情况，但所有女性在分娩时均无明显的精神症状。杀婴和弃婴与否认怀孕密切相关，是儿童受伤害的严重形式。它们在香港的发生情况鲜为人知，也没有代表性的数据。医疗保健、社会工作和司法专业人员需要共同努力，以界定问题的范围并制定预防措施。
