A young American woman, traveling through Europe, is in custody after allegedly throwing her newborn out a Paris hotel window. The baby, pronounced dead at the hospital, is being investigated as a homicide.
Post-partum psychosis is a hell of a drug.
Yep.
People always act shocked when shit like this happens, but it’s hardwired incredibly deeply.
100s of millions of years of evolution where if you didn’t have the resources to raise a child, or just an inordinate amount of stress…
It was better for yourself and your future offspring to not invest anymore resources in the kid.
Like, I’m a dude, I’ll literally never experience it. But I can still understand why it happens, and that’s the first step to understanding how to prevent.
The easiest thing in the world should be turning in an unwanted child, I’d even go as far as to advocate for the parents to have a route to regain custody within so many days. It certainly wouldn’t be ideal, but some people just need a fucking break to get their mind right and then they’d be decent parents.
But it’s easier to label people evil. And say only an evil person would do this.
It makes us feel better because then we “know” there’s nothing we could have done and it won’t happen to us.
But that’s just not true
This goes even beyond that:
And authorities are considering the possibility of what is known as pregnancy denial, a condition in which a woman remains unaware of or in denial about her pregnancy until labor. … She was taken to a hospital for medical treatment following childbirth and has been placed in custody there, officials said.
Reading between the lines here, the baby was newborn, as in just born in that hotel room.
Animals abandon offspring kind of all the time. Human beings are an outlier, in that we don’t do that very often anymore, but it definitely does still happen. I think this situation is a bit different, though.
It would make sense; she denied it to herself until she physically couldn’t anymore, then panicked not knowing what to do with/about it and chucked the newborn.
Given she’s American; accepting you’re pregnant at 15 knowing you’ll probably be forced to keep it (or at least birth it)… That’s tough.
I’d expect more of this unfortunately; given Americas renewed fight against abortion, contraception, and sex related health information in general.
Just to clarify, it’s the baby that was “a minor under 15” for the definition of the crime. The woman is young, but I think if she were only 15 they’d have said so, maybe called her a girl. Even in France.
If anything, women should have the resources to take care of their kids. I understand that postpartum psychosis and depression is a real issue that sometimes has no easy solution, but this woman killed her child. I’m not saying this woman is evil but she still did something evil. I remember reading a story a few weeks back about a woman that shot her three kids in the head while they were sleeping because of postpartum psychosis. She may not have been evil, but murdering all of your children is evil.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I see some people (not necessarily you, just some people) talk about it as an excuse for their actions instead of it just being the reason. And that’s how we need to treat it because these women should be able to get the help they need so this doesn’t happen. It’s not like we haven’t known about it for years.
I get the meaning of your comment I think; but honestly, I found it to be very poor taste.
I get the meaning of your comment I think; but honestly, I found it to be very pedantic.
Bro the human brain never fails to fascinate and terrify me in equal measure. We’re so fucking weird.
Needs to be assessed for drugs and mental illness.
Agreed, but… Could also be Postpartum psychosis.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postpartum_psychosis
Pregnancy a very wild ride for women. It changes them physically. Here’s a short list for your reading pleasure.
Cellular Changes
• Fetal Microchimerism: Cells from the fetus, containing the baby’s DNA, migrate into the mother’s bloodstream and organs (including the brain, heart, and liver). These fetal cells can persist for decades, potentially influencing immune function, tissue repair, and disease resistance.
• Increased Mitochondrial Activity: Pregnancy demands high energy levels, leading to increased mitochondrial activity in maternal cells to support fetal growth.
• Changes in Immune System: The immune system shifts to a more tolerant state to avoid rejecting the fetus while still defending against infections.
Brain Changes
• Gray Matter Reduction (but Increased Efficiency): Studies show that pregnancy leads to a long-term reduction in gray matter in regions associated with social cognition and empathy. This isn’t a loss of function but rather a refinement, optimizing the brain for maternal bonding and caregiving.
• Increased Connectivity in Emotion & Reward Centers: Pregnancy enhances neural connectivity in areas linked to emotional processing, making mothers more responsive to their baby’s needs.
• Hormonal Impact on Neuroplasticity: High levels of estrogen, progesterone, and oxytocin reshape the brain, potentially leading to increased stress resilience and maternal instincts.
DNA-Level Changes
• Epigenetic Modifications: Pregnancy can alter gene expression through DNA methylation and histone modifications, affecting the mother’s metabolism, immune function, and even aging rate.
• Telomere Shortening or Lengthening: Some studies suggest that pregnancy may shorten telomeres (linked to aging), while others indicate a potential protective effect, particularly in women with multiple children.
• Impact on Future Health: These epigenetic shifts can influence a mother’s long-term health, including risks for conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders.
Yeah my bad, I thought postpartum psychosis was part of the DSM-5. I said “mental illness” thinking PPP was included. Was confused why all the downvotes til I looked it up lol
