It can’t be easy being a teenager with an unwanted baby. “Teenage pregnancy what to do next?” is definitely a common and scary question teen mums must ask.
A heartbreaking incident of a newborn baby being dumped in Thailand has only cemented the fact that there are always alternatives to dumping a helpless, unwanted baby.
Cries heard in a banana orchard
A baby girl barely a few hours old, was flung by her teenage mother from a fifth floor balcony.
Residents in an apartment block in central Thailand, heard the unmistakable cries of a newborn baby on the morning of 1 October.
The apartment block where the baby was thrown from. | Image Source: Daily Mail
They scrambled over a fence which was two metres high which enclosed a banana orchard at the back of the apartments. There, neighbours found the newborn girl with her placenta and umbilical cord still attached to her tiny body.
Miraculously, the little one was alive.
Safe and Sound
The baby survived the fall without any serious wounds because the leaves of the banana trees broke her fall, acting like cushions. Police found her with only light grazes, scratches and covered with mosquito bites.
Hang Konhaan, a 55-year-old neighbour, stated that she first noticed the baby’s cries at about 10.30am – but disregarded them as unimportant. It was only after she talked to one of the other neighbours that they both examined the scene.
“We found the little baby on the floor and she was crying. There were some broken leaves next to her, which saved her life,” said Hang.
Hang remarked that said that she recognised the newborn’s young mum appearance when she was pregnant, but she didn’t know her personally.
Harsh consequences for the mum
Officers then interrogated the owner of the apartment. Presently, they are looking for the teen mum, who may be accused for attempted murder.
Amnat Charoen, a Liteunant Colonel of Samrong Nua’s district police station, remarked that police officers were informed of the baby’s discovery in the banana orchard near the apartments at about 11am.
“Underneath the banana tree area was a baby and their placenta. There were many mosquitos and ants on his body. She had a rash and some redness. There were signs that that baby had fallen from a height,” he explains.
According to Amnat, investigations revealed that it was a teenager who privately delivered the baby girl in one of the rooms of the fifth floor.
Thankfully, the baby is currently receiving treatment. ‘The baby is being cared for in hospital, but she is safe and recovering well. She is healthy,” says Amnat.
The abandoned baby, with a carer and police. There’s always an answer to the question, “teenage pregnancy what to do next” and there are always options and support available in place of abandonment. | Image Source
Teenage pregnancy what to do next: Think carefully
Although we don’t know why the teen mum threw her baby away, it’s very likely didn’t know that she had options available. She could have also found out too late that she was pregnant or had no one to turn to.
Young mothers and mums-to-be should know there’s always help available.
- Keeping the pregnancy? You might want to start thinking about antenatal care.
- Terminating the pregnancy? Consult your GP or a sexual health clinic to talk things through so that you know what the choices are. Medical professionals in these settings can pass you over to other medical institutions, like a clinic or hospital, for a follow-up evaluation.
Support for Teen Parents
You can also consult pregnancy crisis services in Singapore. These organisations all have a 24/7 hotline open 365 days of the year. Don’t worry, because they will provide a safe space away from judgemental eyes and will keep any information you provide strictly confidential.
If you feel like there is no one else to turn to, the following organisations can help you explore options and advise you on teenage pregnancy what to do next.
- babes.org.sg – SMS 8111 3535 or call 1800 833 6666
- pregnancy crisis and familylife.sg – 6339 9770
- Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society – 1800 686 86 23
- Sanctuary House hotline – 9817 0588
We at theAsianparent hope that the baby girl will receive the appropriate care she needs and a warm, loving family which she deserves. To all the young mums anxious with teenage pregnancy what to do next, please be assured that there are options available.
Reference: ChiangRai Times. Images were screenshots from Dailymail.
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