NJ - Newborn boy found on hood of car, Edison, March 2010

[laura08]

you know im no medical expert, but exposing a naked newborn to a snowstorm for ANY length of time leaves him open to frostbite, hypothermia and death. is there something im missing here?

That is possible.

 

[CHICANA]

you know im no medical expert, but exposing a naked newborn to a snowstorm for ANY length of time leaves him open to frostbite, hypothermia and death. is there something im missing here?

We're missing a lot in this case. We don't know who left him, how old that person was or what their mental state was. We don't know how long he was there or if the person who left him was watching. We do know he's alive and wasn't exposed long enough to suffer from hypothermia or frostbite (IMO of the reports).
Some reports say that the area was thawing from the storm, so it's possible they weren't in the middle of a snow storm. Do we know what the temp was that day. I couldn't find it for the 26th but yesterday it was 48 degrees in the town where the baby was found.
I was also thinking it might be a young male who wouldn't have any maternal instinct.
The prefrontal cortex isn't fully developed until a person is in their mid twenties.
But I don't know this to be true in this case and if I find out it was someone like me or you, I'm going to want them charged with something way more serious than child abandonement.

http://www.redorbit.com/news/educat...teen_brain_show_why_kids_act_before_thinking/
The prefrontal cortex of a 15-year-old is very different from that of a 30-year-old, both physically and in how it's used. For many teens, the output of their underdeveloped decision processing centers may be as mild as choosing a bag of cheese puffs for lunch or a new purple hairdo. But some youngsters take bigger risks – such as stealing a car or trying drugs. More 17-year-olds commit crimes than any other age group, according to recent studies by psychiatrists.

 

[Missizzy]

This baby was described as a newborn. I also saw "under two days old". My guess is that this was determined by the condition of his umbilical cord. He was a full term baby, most likely, weighing in at 7 1/2 pounds. There hasn't been any discussion as to whether he was just born, still covered in vernix (the waxy coating on newborns) and blood. There hasn't been discussion of whether the towel was bloody, meaning possibly the catching cloth.

I keep wondering why he was naked. Is it possible that he was born in that parking lot, maybe in a nearby car? That would bring up the possibility of an employee leaving work to deliver secretly in her car. However, we're not talking about a 3 pounder here. This is a good sized baby. Has anyone looked to see if there are nearby schools, homeless camps or shelters? My point is that if this boy was a day or so old, I doubt that he'd be "red" if laid on the trunk of a car. If he was with Mom for a day or so, he'd have been wrapped up in some way, or clothed--if for no other reason than cleanliness. Babies, especially newborns, are quite messy. If he was a couple of days old and still unclothed, he'd have been blue in that weather. I think he must have just been born prior to being left.

One of the lines in the NJ Safe Haven law really bothers me. It's:

"The parents — or someone acting on their behalf — can bring a baby less than 30 days old to any hospital emergency room or police station."

There seems to be so many holes in this law. How do we know the parents are dropping off the baby? Does one parent have the right to make the choice if the other disagrees? It says, "the parents"--as in both? And what is this about "someone acting on their behalf"? So a man who rapes a female child can just take the baby and drop it off? If my teen daughter has a baby I don't want, can I just wait until she falls asleep and drop the baby at the ER and tell them I'm acting in her behalf?

Notice the law promises anonymity but I really want to know the Mom is OK. That's another of the holes in the Safe Haven laws. We, as a society, worry about the Mom. And notice you get two drop off choices--just two--the ER or a police station. Why not clinics, doctor's offices, fire stations, hospital waiting rooms--anywhere people are trained in emergency care? I think we're going to have to re-look at these laws as they are just too confusing.

I've been wondering how this law works at its best. Can I walk into a police station and hand an officer a newborn with no questions asked? Really and truly? Do I have to state that I'm exercising my right to the Safe Haven law. I'm 55. Would I be asked if I'm the mom or if I am acting on behalf of the parent. Would there be questions? Would the officer just take the baby and be gracious or would I be detained and questioned? I can tell you that if I were 14, I'd be terrified of all this. Are LE officers and hospital workers trained in a rote response? I seriously doubt they carry around a little Miranda Rights type card which they read you. I would imagine you'd have many people who pepper you with questions:

Are you the Mom?
If not, where is the Mom?
When and where was the baby born?
Are there any health issues we need to be aware of?
Any birth complications?
Did he breathe right away?
Has he been fed?
Was the placenta delivered?
Are you OK?
Did you know you have other options?
Are you sure you want to do this?

For those of us who have had infants, think back to how horribly confused and emotional you were in the first 48 hours. We can hardly feed ourselves and our infants much less make decisions. That's why we have nurses or midwives and hopefully, loving partners. I simply see a system fraught with complications.

 

[kbl8201]

thats funny cause when i was 15 i sure the hell knew right from wrong prefrontal cortex or not

 

[2sisters]

I don't know what to say. Thank God the baby is alive though.

 

[Filly]

thats funny cause when i was 15 i sure the hell knew right from wrong prefrontal cortex or not

Yes you did.:innocent:

I'm like 50 and I still think mine isn't formed right. This is a sad thread. I had to say that.

 

[Missizzy]

Mine was fine for a while but it's been downhill ever since. But I promise I'm not leaving naked babies lying around.

 

[not_my_kids]

Um, I have to step in here. Not to villify, but I know that after the birth of all three of my younger kids, I felt great. Perfect on top of the world...so on. I mean, we're talking, kid is born and I get up, use the bathroom, get dressed and go down for a cigarette (I never get to hold mine as soon as they are born, somehting always goes wrong.)
As far as making decisions, I immdiately got on my cell and went back to work. No issues whatsoever, clear-headed all the way. I think that at least physically speaking, the mother would have had to have been just fine. At least good enough to walk. The reports say less than a day and the interview with the one that found him says it was the height of the storm.
I am betting that it was the mother that left him, and that means that she was up and walking around, carrying an over 7 pound infant, in the snow. Even if he was born in a nearby car, that means getting out, and walking at least few feet to lay him down, don't forget redressing herself somewhere in there, and apparently cleaning him off.
I have my doubts that this was some shrinking violet teen. I have a feeling this isn't even necessarily a first baby. And I have no concerns about the mother. If it was her that left the baby, she is physically fine. Or at least she was at the time. I have a feeling that she had him quietly at home, cleaned up, cleaned him up, wrapped him up in something that wouldn't be missed, slipped through the little tree line there and left him at the nearest place, as fast as she could before she was seen.

 

[CHICANA]

Um, I have to step in here. Not to villify, but I know that after the birth of all three of my younger kids, I felt great. Perfect on top of the world...so on. I mean, we're talking, kid is born and I get up, use the bathroom, get dressed and go down for a cigarette (I never get to hold mine as soon as they are born, somehting always goes wrong.)
As far as making decisions, I immdiately got on my cell and went back to work. No issues whatsoever, clear-headed all the way. I think that at least physically speaking, the mother would have had to have been just fine. At least good enough to walk. The reports say less than a day and the interview with the one that found him says it was the height of the storm.
I am betting that it was the mother that left him, and that means that she was up and walking around, carrying an over 7 pound infant, in the snow. Even if he was born in a nearby car, that means getting out, and walking at least few feet to lay him down, don't forget redressing herself somewhere in there, and apparently cleaning him off.
I have my doubts that this was some shrinking violet teen. I have a feeling this isn't even necessarily a first baby. And I have no concerns about the mother. If it was her that left the baby, she is physically fine. Or at least she was at the time. I have a feeling that she had him quietly at home, cleaned up, cleaned him up, wrapped him up in something that wouldn't be missed, slipped through the little tree line there and left him at the nearest place, as fast as she could before she was seen.

I was in bad shape after my first. Emergency c-section, bad reaction to the anesthesia and pain medication. I was out of it for the first three days. Her dad thought I was suffering with PPD because I wouldn't hold her for long, when actually I could hardly stay awake and was afraid I'd drop her on the cold, tiled hospital floor. Since they didn't get me out of bed after the surgery, I ended up with a blood clot (dvt) and a pulmonary embolism and was re-admitted to the hospital after a couple weeks. My second c-section was a breeze and nobody could believe I'd just had surgery. I even went home from the hospital early.
Sorry O/T. I wish they'd find her.

 

[not_my_kids]

Chicana, I wasn't trying to negate anyone's experience. What I'm getting at is that in this case, IF it was the mother that left him, she is in decent shape, or at least was immediately after having him. She was walking, she was capable of lifting light people, she was capable of at least semi-clear thought. That's what I was getting at.

And since the hospitals are likely on high alert, chances are that she hasn't attempted to seek medical help, all of which is comforting to me as to the mother's condition.

 

[kbl8201]

the fact she's in decent condition also means it will be harder to track her down.
unless she flaps her gums to someone

 

[CHICANA]

Chicana, I wasn't trying to negate anyone's experience. What I'm getting at is that in this case, IF it was the mother that left him, she is in decent shape, or at least was immediately after having him. She was walking, she was capable of lifting light people, she was capable of at least semi-clear thought. That's what I was getting at.

And since the hospitals are likely on high alert, chances are that she hasn't attempted to seek medical help, all of which is comforting to me as to the mother's condition.

I didn't think you were, you just made me reminisce about my painful first delivery and I took the opportunity to share.
Gosh, you were supposed to feel sorry for me. I was fishing for a little sympathy and a few aww, poor chicana's :crazy
I think the mom's ok too, but I don't think she acted alone.
I'm just so happy the baby's ok, it's not our usual ending here.

 

[CHICANA]

the fact she's in decent condition also means it will be harder to track her down.
unless she flaps her gums to someone

Somebody has to know.

 

[kbl8201]

if she delivered alone, and was alone, then we have to hope someone saw her put the baby on the car.

 

[not_my_kids]

I didn't think you were, you just made me reminisce about my painful first delivery and I took the opportunity to share.
Gosh, you were supposed to feel sorry for me. I was fishing for a little sympathy and a few aww, poor chicana's :crazy
I think the mom's ok too, but I don't think she acted alone.
I'm just so happy the baby's ok, it's not our usual ending here.

Ah, didn't realize you were fishing, I feared you had taken offense. You have my sympathy, I was just more worried about ruffled feathers.
Okay, returning to topic now, I swear.

Even though that's a little hard when the media seems to have dropped this one like a hot potato.

 

[not_my_kids]

The story about a newborn baby which was found lying naked in the freezing cold on top of parked car in Edison during last Friday's snowstorm has justifiably evoked emotions of shock and outrage. The authorities are looking for the parents and asking anyone with information about the baby to contact them. As deeply troubling as this situation is, it could've ended far worse. You have to wonder what circumstances led the person who abandoned the baby in the freezing cold to do this. You also have to question whether they knew about New Jersey's Safe Haven Infant Protection Act which was intended to help prevent this particular type of situation from occurring.

http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/co...-safe-haven-infant-protection-act-saves-lives

Also says that the nearest hospital is 4.5 miles away, so that's not exactly right around the corner. IMO.

 

[CHICANA]

They're still looking for the mother.

http://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/2010/03/mother_of_abandoned_infant_sti.html

 

[not_my_kids]

A 19-year-old woman who was convicted of leaving her day-old daughter on the hood of a neighbor's car, with the hope someone would provide the baby a better life, was sentenced Friday to 90 days in the House of Correction and four years' probation.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/85501667.html

This is from a different case, in Milwaukee, but showswhat is pretty standard sentencing.