Babies being swapped at the hospital

dowie

dowie

dowie

Caporegime
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I'm guessing sometimes the nurses are too busy making tiktoks and these mistakes happen, this guy on reddit thought his wife was cheating after reading some incel guff online, took a paternity test and found out his daughter wasn't his... but surprisingly also later discovered wasn't his wife's either:


Does make you wonder how common this is, apparently not so much in the UK:


Though the near misses aren't exactly confidence inspiring either:

NHS said:
Baby taken back to a mother in Bay 3 identified by the mother as wrong baby , baby then wheeled to mother opposite who called back the member of staff to say this was also not her baby .
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But apparently in backwards countries like South Africa, Spain and 'merica it does happen occasionally:

Spain: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/family-kids/woman-discovers-switched-birth-20-24955195

South Africa: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/man-swapped-birth-resents-mother-25995413

The latter case was a bit :eek: as they did discover the mistake when the kids were only 2 years od but... rather surprisingly, decided not to swap them back, though kept in contact. Unfortunately one of the kids was then stuck with a poor single mother and rather resentful of the fact his actual mother was quite well off (of course the single mum's actual kid, who'd grown up with rich parents, was quite happy with how his life had turned out). In the end, the rich mother decided to encourage her actual kid to move in with her too leaving the former single mum with no kid:

Speaking at the time, Sandy said: “I just want to know she’s really happy with what she’s achieved.
“I mean she’s ruined people’s lives, there’s just no other way to look at it… she’s ruined mine for starters.”
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I don't really get their approach, surely, upon finding a mistake like that you'd want your actual kid back? If you'd had the wrong kid for a while then you'd kinda want to maintain contact with them too I presume but surely you'd not abandon your actual offspring?

Anyway what would you want to do GD - say you have a kid, the nurse rushes off with it to clean it up and because too busy and/or incompetent/dumb manages to stick the wrong bracelet on it and another baby... you later discover the error...

Would it change your view/approach if it were discovered at 2 years vs 5 years vs some later point like 10 years?
 
I've never known it in 12 years and it would be classed as a NEVER EVENT, in other words it can never happen although I have been involved of cases of NEVER EVENTS eg a tool or swab being left in the body after an operation.
Pretty sure babies born in this country have a couple of labels put on them immediately so the chances of a switch should be a never event.

Funnily enough I watched a programme the other week where these two British women were swopped at birth but they were both in their 80s now.
It also showed a more recent case in Spain or Italy where the girls were swopped and three years later it was found out.
The girls have been best mates, gone through all education together and are now at Uni and they both have 2 Mums & Dads.
It was only found out because one Mother had taken her little girl to play school and the teacher said "There's a little girl over there who looks exactly like you" and it stemmed from there.
A Judge ordered the girls to go back to their proper homes.
 
SexyGreyFox said:
....
Pretty sure babies born in this country have a couple of labels put on them immediately so the chances of a switch should be a never event. .....
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That was our experience when both my girls were born (C-sections). A nurse was tagging their wrists whilst the initial bonding cuddle with mum was happening - so about 10 seconds from coming out ! The maternity unit was entry secured and the staff did emphasise several times that nobody should be taking the baby out of the parents sight.

There does seem to be a "thing" in other countries where mum and baby get separated routinely (as opposed to only when intensive care in an incubator is needed) and I guess if they're not tagged or there's someone maliciously swapping them when out of parental sight then I could see it happening.

I think there's more TV/soap/film dramas using it as a plot line than real incidents ....
 
peterwalkley said:
That was our experience when both my girls were born (C-sections). A nurse was tagging their wrists whilst the initial bonding cuddle with mum was happening - so about 10 seconds from coming out ! The maternity unit was entry secured and the staff did emphasise several times that nobody should be taking the baby out of the parents sight.
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This. Our kids all had arm and leg tags with 'FIG (surname)' on them, as well as an alarm around the ankle that locks down the hospital and sets off an alarm if the baby leaves the ward, before they'd even cut the cord - literally.

Edit: Now read the Tweet Reddit (derp) thread in the OP, and I feel sick. I can't even imagine!... Jeez.
 
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Diddums said:
I'd definitely want an upgrade, my intelligence or better thanks. Imagine getting some thicko's kid, he'd start building bonfires and slating immigrants :eek:
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Yep, going to keep an eye out for a GigaChad swap when we're on the ward.

Just LOL if your sons don't have these jawlines.

ea0.jpg
 
dowie said:
I don't really get their approach, surely, upon finding a mistake like that you'd want your actual kid back? If you'd had the wrong kid for a while then you'd kinda want to maintain contact with them too I presume but surely you'd not abandon your actual offspring?
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It may blow your mind, but people do have kids purely for selfish reasons and some see them more as a fashion statement than any actual natural need for reproducing
 
Happens all the time. You still get a baby to take home so it doesn't really matter surely?
Could you sue them for all the money you spent raising them? I know you were going to spend it anyway but you might be more well off and spent more.

(Jest)
 
"Labels" tied to appendages? Is that the best we can do? Just microchip them at birth, before the umbilical is severed, and do an enforced DNA on baby and both parents, the parents pay for all this. Jeez, my dogs are better documented...
 
Chris Wilson said:
"Labels" tied to appendages? Is that the best we can do? Just microchip them at birth, before the umbilical is severed, and do an enforced DNA on baby and both parents, the parents pay for all this. Jeez, my dogs are better documented...
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That's the best idea. Imagine if they grew up to a criminal. They would already be n the database easier to conviction
 
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