effect of using a risk assessment tool for abandoned children in hospitals at the Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health: A 5-year retrospective study (2019-2023)

Abstract

     This study aimed to identify the causes of child abandonment in hospitals. A retrospective study was conducted using data from the Child Abandonment Risk Assessment Forms of the Medical Social Work Department, Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, collected over a five-year period (2019–2023). A total of 456 cases were included. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages.

     The results showed that one mother could have multiple risk factors for child abandonment. The causes, ranked from most to least frequent, were: (1) maternal economic problems, (2) adolescent motherhood, (3) unintended pregnancy, (4) maternal divorce, (5) lack of antenatal care, (6) single motherhood, (7) history of substance use, (8) absence of relatives visiting the patient, (9) domestic violence, (10) maternal or child infectious or chronic diseases, (11) illegal immigration status of the mother, (12) child disability, (13) history of abortion, (14) concealment of personal information by the mother, (15) maternal absconding from the hospital after delivery, and (16) homelessness.Service provision through the medical social work process resulted in favorable outcomes after medical discharge. Most children were taken into the care of grandparents or other relatives, followed by care provided by the parents. Only a small number of children required placement in child welfare institutions.