The case raised social networks: parents had their children withdrawn, temporarily placed with Childhood Social Assistance (ASE), via an order from the Rennes public prosecutor’s office on the grounds of an unassisted childbirth at the house, according to their testimony and according to the order which stipulates a delivery “in precarious conditions”. More broadly, the lack of medical follow-up by the PMI is underlined, as well as the too low weight gain of the baby and the “malnutrition” of the older of the two girls. If we lack information on this placement, a question still arises: can we live a pregnancy and give birth as we wish today in France?Decoders provide some answers.
In an interview granted to the Obsthe former vice-president of the National Child Protection Council and ex-inspector of Child Welfare Michèle Créoff recalls first of all that medical monitoring during pregnancy is mandatory. If it is possible to give birth at home without medical assistance, the birth must then be declared by a witness. “All this to fight against child trafficking, identify neonaticides, health problems and not to oppose home birth”, she insists.
Unassisted births legal but not recommended
For their part, the Decoders recall that deliveries outside the hospital environment are rare, INSEE estimates them between 0.5% and 1.9% of the total, between 1980 and 2016. They also specify that French law in no way prevents home births, whether they are accompanied by a midwife, or whether they are unassisted (ANA). But also that they are not encouraged, on the grounds that the optimal security conditions are not met, for the mother as for the child.
In this case, the parents were accused of not cooperating with the PMI, as CheckNews notes : “the PMI felt hampered in its natural approach to protecting children”. However, it is not compulsory to take advantage of this aid, also recalls Liberation. What is certain, however, is that within 8 days after birth, a medical examination of the baby is mandatorythen once during the second week of life and finally once a month during the first 6 months, reminds the Vidal.
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