Is That Baby Truly Yours? Switching Babies at Birth is Common Than You Think

Have you realised that there have been a lot of paternity tests and DNA cases on social media lately? Often it comes out that the woman cheated on the man and the father is not the father of the child. Sometimes, this comes out while the children are still very young and, in some cases, they are fully grown, either way, it can still be heart-breaking for the Father. There was this particular one that caught my attention, several tests proved the Father wasn’t the father of the 3 months baby and the woman insisted she didn’t cheat on the husband. Even when her friend was trying to tell her to confess and save herself the embarrassment, she stood her ground, she did not cheat, and nothing would make her change her mind. And then someone suggested they carry out a maternity test. This test result revealed that she wasn’t the mother of the baby too! So, either their baby was exchanged mistakenly or deliberately at delivery at the health facility where the woman gave birth. So yes, she didn’t cheat, and the baby is not hers as well. Only God knows the kind of hell she might have gone through before the maternity test results showed she wasn’t the mother of the baby too. Just take a look at the full story, I bet you’ll never think that the baby might have been switched!

“How can a husband be AA and wife AS, and baby is SS? Paternity

fraud looming… Husband is AA, wife is AS. 3 months after they had their first child, they found out their daughter was SS. At first, it appeared like a joke, a very bad one. Medically, that isn’t or shouldn’t be possible. They conducted the genotype test in four medical labs, and the result came out the same. Husband and wife decided to have their genotype test again. Results were the same. Then it became clear what was happening. Husband ain’t the father of the baby. He secretly had a DNA test and it was confirmed he didn’t father the baby. Amidst the confusion, he asked his wife if he fathered the baby. The wife wouldn’t confess. She insisted he fathered the baby. It’s just obvious that whoever fathered the baby is AS which resulted in the baby’s SS. They went for a paternity test and the husband glaringly ain’t the baby’s dad. The wife is still insisting she didn’t get impregnated externally. She went ahead to do another DNA. The result was the same. The wife became a shadow of herself. Husband got crazy. Their home became a “once upon a time.” The wife kept researching how possible it was that her husband didn’t father her baby and the baby’s genotype is SS. Then she told a friend the whole story. Her friend just felt she was using female antics. “Take responsibility,” she was told. She kept swearing and swearing. Her friend told me the whole drama that ensued. I kept thinking about how this would be possible. Medically, it was impossible for AA to birth SS. Coupled with the DNA results, it was egregious. But a wife claiming innocence and swearing on her life was a whole different thing. I thought of what could have been. Then I concluded: if the wife is innocent, then she’s not the mother of the child. I immediately called my friend and told her I’ve found a possible solution. MDNA (maternity test) to the rescue. They went for an MDNA, and the

test revealed she’s not the mother of the baby. Babies were changed at birth. Long story short, they involved the police and investigations were carried out. Multiple tests were done “here and there”. They got their baby back – AS. They returned the supposed baby. The hospital was sued for negligence and trauma. The wife was so displeased her husband didn’t trust her. They settled and made up. They just had their second baby – a boy. The husband stayed with the wife in the labor room and monitored everything. Once bitten, twice shy. At times, so-called paternity fraud resulted from the change of babies at the hospital.”

This might sound fictional, but these things are happening every

day. Do you remember how some Ghanaian doctors and nurses were caught selling newborn babies? And you may also remember an old Ghanaian movie ‘Baby Thief’, this goes to tell that these things didn’t start today. Back in 1991, there was this American movie titled Switched at Birth, which also shows how two girls were switched at birth. Some of them are mistakes on the side of the health professionals, yes, mistakes are inevitable. Imagine a midwife delivering about 10 to 15 babies at short intervals, it might be difficult to keep track of which baby belongs to which mother.

As a woman, you are most unlikely to vindicate yourself in some of these situations, and maybe by the time you will remember to do a

maternity test, things might have fallen apart already and it is too late to correct any mistakes. I tried researching how often babies are switched and found out that out of 4 million total births, about 28,000 babies get switched every year, this translates to about 1 switch per every 1000 transfers (https://brandongaille.com/20-babies-switched-at-birth-statistics/). To save yourself the trouble, here are a few pieces of advice that might be useful when you go to deliver your baby.

First of all, go with someone into the delivery ward. Most men go with their partners when in labor, if you are however not lucky enough to have yours go with you, still find someone, a family

member, a friend, just someone. This person will help to keep an eye on the baby once it’s born to avoid all these mixed ups and baby exchanges. Most hospitals allow a third party into the delivery room, but you can always ask to confirm. If third parties are not allowed, feel free to go to a different health facility, you have the right to decide where you want to have your baby.

Secondly, you may want to have something that will be put around the baby as some form of identity. My biology teacher says he used to go with his wife to the hospital, and as soon as the baby comes, he will tie a piece of cloth around some part of the baby, say the ankle or the elbow just for identity. You can still do this even if you go alone, just give the midwives the piece of material and they will do the needful. The question however is, what if they still use the material for a different baby, or what if they untie your material and tie it to a different baby.  That is why you may want to go in the company of another person.

Thirdly, you may want to check the history of the facility you have

chosen to give birth in. This will help you to make a decision, whether you have your baby there or not. Choose a facility where you trust and are sure that the chances of having a baby switch will be lower. This is less stressful than trying to go back and search for a baby that has been switched.

Some hospitals also have technologies to avoid your baby from being switched. They use footprinting, banding, tags that beep and more. If you can afford such hospitals, you might want to consider them, but feel free to ask the facility what they do to avoid babies from being switched at birth.

If you still have energy after giving birth and there are no complications with the baby, try to spend a lot of time with the

baby. Do not leave the baby alone for a long time. You’re going to need some assistance moving around while at the facility, for instance, you have to go and bathe, use the restroom and so on and of course, you can’t carry the baby with you to these places. While at it, don’t spend so much time away from your baby.

Just know that no matter how efficient the system may be, it may not be 100% perfect, even though health workers have a role to

play and are working hard to make sure that every baby goes to the right parent, mistakes can still happen. You also have a role to play, you owe yourself that responsibility, one mistake and you may go home with the wrong baby. Chances are you may never get to find out your baby is not yours, but you may also get to know the baby was not yours in the first place the hard way. They always say prevention is better than cure. You can prevent that baby switch. And what if you were switched at birth? CHEERS!!!