Hospital Mix-Up?
By suedarr
@suedarr (2382)
Canada
December 7, 2006 2:23pm CST
You discover that your wonderful one-year-old child is, because of a mix-up at the hospital, not yours. Would you want to exchange the child to correct the mistake?
I believe there was a famous case in Florida, USA that involved two families and their children who biologically belonged to the other family. I do not recall the outcome though.
This is not an easy question, and to be 100 percent honest I do not know how I would feel about correcting the mix-up. I would desperately want to find my biological child, but I do not think I would be willing to give up the baby I had been raising either.
What would you do if faced with something like this?
8 people like this
41 responses
@gaylordfocker615 (389)
• Philippines
8 Dec 06
This actually happens in real life? Wow, that really sucks! The bright side to this mix up is, it got discovered. I mean, if you went on through life thinking this child is yours but he/she really wasn't, that would be real bad. Although, ignorance is bliss. I'd still look for my real offspring but still keep in touch with the one that I thought was my child.
2 people like this
@eMoney (9)
• Australia
8 Dec 06
I wouldn't trade my child, even though it doesn't genetically belong to me. Having raised a baby for 1 year, and feed it, pampered it and connected with it, there is no way I would want to change this. Yes, I would certainly want to know my "real baby" but I believe the other family would probably feel the same. As mentioned above, it would be a great idea to make each family the godparents of their real child.
It would be a cruel and hard situation to deal with however!
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
8 Dec 06
I've always wondered what I would do also. I would like to think that the child I raised would be the one I would keep and consider my own, just as you would in an adoption. Perhaps an open line of communication with the 'other family' would be beneficial but I cannot imagine taking a child I have loved and nurtured from day 1 and tossing it aside like a piece of meat that I realized wasn't done to my liking. But you never know until you walk the walk... so I won't say NEVER!
2 people like this
@santwana_veddika (2018)
• India
8 Dec 06
i think it is very difficult situation for any mother . even if i come to know about these fact i don't want to exchange this child . i will continue my life with this child .
2 people like this
@mskim2u2004 (355)
• United States
8 Dec 06
I don't think I could make such a hard decision. The solution would probably be everyone getting to know each other and all of us spend time together. Maybe having slumber parties or gatherings where I can spend time with both children and the other woman could do the same so that she could spend time with both children.
2 people like this
@bindishah (2062)
• India
8 Dec 06
I think that the mix-up should be corrected to avoid problems in the future. Imagine the child growing up and realizing when he's 18 that he is not you real child - That could lead to lots of problems. The best thing to do would be to correct the mix-up but also keep in close touch with the other set of parents and child.
2 people like this
@siddharth_sampad (319)
• India
8 Dec 06
yes there is a mix up in the hospitals.dont react to doctors blame exuses.no
@baileym11 (887)
• United States
8 Dec 06
I know the answer to this beyond a doubt. When we were adopting our baby, we had a scare. The first DNA test turned out not to match her mother. That means two months after I held her in my arms and four months after I fell in love with her, we found out she might not be ours. Long story short, it was a lab screwup and we now have her home. I couldn't love her more if I had given birth to her. I want the baby I fell in love with, no matter what baby that is--she's mine.
2 people like this
@akotalagato (1334)
• Philippines
8 Dec 06
that is a very tough situation. but the earlier you correct the mix up and change back both babies the easier it would be on the child. at least he still wont remember much about who raised him during his first year of life. it will be hard on the parents. but it has to be done.
@mygreyparrot (1461)
• United States
8 Dec 06
I'd be too attached to give the baby that wasn't really mine up. I'd want to have both, but of course that wouldn't be fair either.
2 people like this
@julier (66)
• China
8 Dec 06
well. I think both familes will run into trouble. when they meet this kind of cituation. how to solve the problem I think the mistakens had made .so maybe we keep unchanged. and then two family become good relations. to be one big family maybe it won't be more terrible.
2 people like this
@Metallion (2227)
• United States
8 Dec 06
At that point I think the 1 year old's would have an emotional attachment with the parents raising them. I don't think it would be fair to break that attachment. At the same time I'd want to know my biological child. Maybe if the other couple was willing, make each couple the godparents of their biological child?
2 people like this
@chiquita1977 (1706)
• United States
8 Dec 06
i would want to find my bio kid but,i could not exchange the child i have been raising and bonding with.being a parent has nothing to do with dna it has to do with who raised you.
@jbb316 (1779)
• United States
7 Dec 06
This would be a terribly hard decision to make. As a mother I would feel torn. the child who I have would feel as though it were mine because I had raised it so far. But on the other hand I would want to know my own flesh and blood. But both children, even though they are with the wrong parents would feel as if the parents they are living with were their "real" parents. This would be an awful situation to be in and I would hate to have to make this decision. It is so tough from all angles. I hope I never would have to be in this situation because I really do not know what I would do.
2 people like this
@rosey2006 (945)
• United States
8 Dec 06
I think I would leave things the way that they are, but be close to the other family and get to know one another.
@luckyabu (336)
• India
8 Dec 06
Hello. I would be broken and would be sad and would take a while to recover. I would talk out with my relatives and then do the necessary. But with all my heart and mind I would want my real child and also raise the other child myself. This situation would change my life forever.
@Fallingleaves (229)
• United States
8 Dec 06
It wouldnt matter how old the children would be but it would definately be corrected and a transition period would be appropriate. I'm sure initially there would be shock and anger but then I'd have to look at the positive aspects for the sake of the children.
@InconvenientFacts (61)
• Canada
8 Dec 06
I'm still pretty sure there was a mix-up in my case...
My REAL last name is either Tump, Windsor, Gates, Thompson, Astor, or a couple of others...
I used to think it was Black until the lawsuits... er, I mean, until I could rule out Conrad as my dad.
1 person likes this
@momathome (474)
• Canada
8 Dec 06
For me I would want to have my natural child back. And do it slowly to make the transition easier.I would still want to keep close to the other child as I would think the other family would want to do that also. It would be such a hard thing to do but that is what I think would be the best thing.
2 people like this
@bluuyze (67)
• United States
8 Dec 06
One year old? Exchange em. No question about it. Your child was born to you for a reason, and if you were MEANT to switch children, no one would ever find out. Might be a little harder if the child was 5 or 6, hard to say what you would want to do in your own situation, but I would rather have my biological child that I carried for 9 months.
1 person likes this
@magenta_feelings (79)
• India
8 Dec 06
though it may nt b ur baby ......but i wud defnately keep da baby coz how can any body giv bak a child after raising it presiously for a year or two or more....but at the same time i ll sue the hospital or the doc responsible for this
1 person likes this
