Kika's story about the woman who broke down and told the neonatologist of
her husband's violent behavior is a sad reminder that women who are
subjected to abuse, are also more likely to give birth to low birthweight
babies, and to give birth prematurely.  While it is gruesome that this woman
had to tell her sad story under pressure, it is more gruesome that her
husband was hurting her and no one knew about it.  His abuse harmed not only
the mother, but also her baby, because it made it impossible for her to see
her breasts as life-giving organs for her child.
We are watching a case unfold in the media from a neighboring town, of a
premature baby who was beaten within an inch of his life shortly after being
discharged from hospital after many weeks in NICU.  It appears that the
perpetrator was the mother's boyfriend, who is not his father.  The baby was
seen for 'colic' by an acute care facility, when in fact he had multiple rib
fractures and a fractured femur, all having been inflicted by a caregiver.
The fractures went undetected for a matter of weeks before he was again so
badly beaten that he was admitted to hospital and it was blatantly obvious
his injuries could not have a 'natural' explanation.  He is reportedly doing
well in foster care now.
I've no idea whether this man was violent toward his girlfriend, the baby's
mother.  But the fact remains that vulnerable babies are vulnerable in many
ways, and they often have very vulnerable mothers.  If you always assume
people do the best they can with what they have, you have a better chance of
learning more about what they actually have, and that could even save a
life.
Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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