Look: Newborn reunited with teenage mother who “abandoned” him for 22 days – Nampula Central Hospital report

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Look: Newborn reunited with teenage mother who “abandoned” him for 22 days – Nampula Central Hospital report

2:56 CAT | 27 May 2021

All photos: Hospital Central de Nampula on Facebook

A newborn baby boy just 22 days old, ho had apparently been “abandoned” by his 15-year-old mother in the Nampula Central Hospital nursery days after being born with severe asphyxia, is back in the bosom of his legitimate family, recovered, healthy and with good reflexes, the Nampula Central Hospital reports [see original text below].

Mother Cristina Gabriel’s local Muecate health centre foresaw birth complications, and transferred her to Nampula Central Hospital, a reference health unit in the northern part of the country, where she gave birth in the normal way on 29 April.

The child did not cry, or even make any movements after delivery, being born with severe asphyxia.

The mother and her companion [her sister], thinking the baby would not survive, left the infirmary and returned to Muecate without asking the team on duty about the newborn’s condition.

In fact, because of his serious condition, the baby was immediately admitted to the Paediatrics Department Neonatal Services, where he recovered from his condition.

In the nursery there, little “Adriel da Cristina” found a godmother in the shape of Victoria Meque, who took care of him along with the team, and became the heroine of the hour.

Victoria, who named the baby, said that what she did was just her duty: taking care of children fighting for life in the unit. Particularly Adriel da Cristina, because he was thought to be abandoned.

The Paediatrics Department, realising that the baby’s mother was not going to the nursery to breastfeed, as was in fact not in the infirmary at all, asked the HCN Social Welfare Service to locate the child’s family.

The social services having successfully implemented their social action communication strategies, the mother duly reappeared last Friday, 21 May, and recovered her baby.

“I didn’t think the baby was alive, because when he was born he didn’t cry or move, but they said they’d take him to the glass (as the incubators are called ) I told this to my sister, my companion, and she told me we should return [home] ..,” said mother Cristina after getting her baby back.

Cristina’s father-in-law, Inácio Marrapaz, said the family were dumbstruck when the social services told them the baby was alive.

“We didn’t even think the child was alive. I am speechless, except to thank the nurses for their love and skill returning the baby to life … Thank you very much!” Inácio says.

“When we saw them coming back empty handed, we asked where the baby was. They just said they left it in the hospital, so we concluded that he had died,” he added.

On that day, they returned to Muecate, happy with their mission to take good care of Adriel, and showering countless blessings on the HCN professionals.