Abstract 16. Abandoned Babies’ Stories as a Reflection of the Social and Public Health Problems Facing Albania Ina Jani This past summer I completed a rotation in obstetrics and gynecology in the Mother Teresa University Center in Tirana, Albania. I spent my mornings in clinic and the afternoons volunteering in the Angel’s Cradle Program, an orphanage for babies who get abandoned by their mother right after birth. The newborns stay there until they are three months old, and are then transferred to the permanent orphanage where they enter the adoption process. During my rotation, I interacted with physicians, residents, patients and family members. I observed pre-natal care, deliveries, C-sections, abortions, and sometimes was on call with my team. My rotation taught me about the Albanian health care system and the kind of care patients who have access to medicine get. My volunteering experience taught me about some public health concerns in Albania. Babies’ stories as a reflection of the social and public health problems facing Albania: Baby L. was a beautiful baby girl with gorgeous eyes whose mother was a 17 year old from a poor and isolated village. When she had suspicions about being pregnant, she did not have access to medical care to have an exam, she did not have access to a pharmacy nearby to buy a $1 pregnancy test, and was afraid to talk to her parents because of the stigma associated with a teenage pregnancy. She eventually did seek help but it was too late to have an abortion. Baby M. was an adorable baby boy who gave all the nurses and volunteers a really hard time to be put to sleep. His mother was a sex slave who had no access to any kind of medical care, and who could not afford contraception or condoms. She was not only at risk for unwanted pregnancies, but also for sexually transmitted diseases. The mother gave birth to the baby on her way to the hospital, in the street. When she arrived to the hospital, she was covered in blood, still bleeding, and the umbilical cord was improperly cut and still hanging from baby M. She stayed in the hospital only a couple of hours, leaving behind an unnamed baby. Reflections: What all these stories have in common is that they were unwanted pregnancies. Patients either did not have access to medical care, did not have the necessary information to make an informed decision or did not know their options. According to the Albanian Ministry of Health, contraceptive use prevalence in Albania is 11% (no information on other forms of birth control). In the United States, 33% of women of reproductive age use oral contraceptives, 84% use some kind of birth control. Access to medical care and family planning remains a serious problem in Albania. The Ministry of Health also acknowledges that health education and promotion are key components in raising awareness about reproductive health. They are working with some international organizations to improve women’s access to care and family planning, and reduce the stigma associated with young single mothers.
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