Switching babies

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Thu Jan 25, 2007 7:58 pm

You've probably read how babies can sometimes go home with the wrong parents and then if it's discovered there's a big mess about where the child should live. It's easy to say if it's a baby to give it back to its real parents but what if we're talking about a child or teenager? Should they be given back to the biological parents or contunue living with the people who brought up him or her? What do you think?

OzBoy · Post by **OzBoy** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 3:30 am

The Australian 60 minutes current affairs show follwed to young white south african boys who went through just that from the time the mistake was found out when the kids were about 5/6 whereby they decided to leave them with their 'non biological' parents to when they revisisted btoh families when the

brothers had turned 16/17 and on the cusp of leaving high school.

It was an amazing story as one child had a life of pure luxury, the best of everything his whole life, whereas his brother lived in a demountable style home with no money, no security and a rather shabby existence. The two worlds couldn't be further apart. Although they all got on rather well and the boys occasionally visited each other (they lived a fair way apart) it became evident that the poorer brother was struggling more and more with his parents decision as it was being compounded by the envious realistation that in actual fact it should of been him living the luxury lifestyle. Emotions soon turned to resentment and it became very difficult for both families to move forward with their lives.

I guess with hindsight even at 5 I think it would of been better for them to swap the kids back as the mountain of guilt being felt by the rich brother and the amount of resentment felt by the poor brother at the age fo 16 will probably stay with them for the rest of their lives and could do untold damage to their futures.

Just an opinion in this particular situation.

DesignerGal · Post by **DesignerGal** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 6:18 am

This is why I plan to deliver at a hospital where the baby stays in the room with you the entire time. More and more hospitals are doing this now. But thats a tough question, especially if you are talking about a child thats been raised with one family for 14-15 years.

OzBoy · Post by **OzBoy** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 8:17 am

For sure, I could never imagine it? It must of been so overwhelming looking at your life from the opposite side knowing that that should of been your life, imagine realising your brother is going to uni but you can't purley because of the financial circumstances of your family (who aren't really your family) who cant afford it and yet you have the same aspirations, dreams and hopes as your brother, thats like mental torture that no one could possibly understand! Its funny its been ages since I saw that story but I do occasionally wonder what happened to those boys, does your upbringing and money really affect/influence who and what you become in general society?

WonderWendy3 · Post by **WonderWendy3** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 8:26 am

There is a movie shown on Lifetime channel a few times about this, well it was similar. The child was actually kidnapped, and raised by another family. Later years realized that he was living fine and well in same town. It was very sad, because the Man that raised him sincerely loved him, his wife had taken him from the stroller in a Store, and brought him home, said she adopted him or something like that (can't remember-mind first thing to go) She died, and Man raised the boy...anyway it is very sad!

I joke about my kids being switched at birth...but would be very devastating!!

When I was in the hospital with the first one, A nurse came in to take him to nursery from my room so that I could get some rest. A few seconds later another nurse came in and said "I'm here to take your baby to the nursery"...I was FREAKIN' OUT!! Down the hallway and stood there to make sure my baby was okay...took him back to the room with me!!

Marie5656 · Post by **Marie5656** » Fri Jan 26, 2007 8:51 am

I remember a case here in the US, back in the 80's I think. Two girls..switched at birth. One an only child, middle class. One was the 5th or 6th child, to a working poor family.

Switch was not found till the girls were adolecents and the girl who went to the "poor" family was discovered to have a heart problem, needed surgery.

Here is an old link... http://www.samsloan.com/vaswitch.htm.