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Anonymous birth law saves babies—optimization, sustainability and public awareness

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Abstract

The aims of this study are to assess the impact of Austria’s anonymous birth law from the time relevant statistical records are available and to evaluate the use of hatches versus anonymous hospital delivery. This study is a complete census of police-reported neonaticides (1975–2012) as well as anonymous births including baby hatches in Austria during 2002–2012. The time trends of neonaticide rates, anonymous births and baby hatches were analysed by means of Poisson and logistic regression model. Predicted and observed rates were derived and compared using a Bayesian Poisson regression model. Predicted numbers of neonaticides for the period of the active awareness campaign, 2002–2004, were more than three times larger than the observed number (p = 0.0067). Of the 365 women who benefitted from this legislation, only 11.5 % chose to put their babies in a baby hatch. Since the law was introduced, a significant decreasing tendency of numbers of anonymous births (p = 047) was observed, while there was significant increase of neonaticide rates (p = 0.0001). The implementation of the anonymous delivery law is associated with a decrease in the number of police-reported neonaticides. The subsequent significantly decreasing numbers of anonymous births with an accompanying increase of neonaticides represents additional evidence for the effectiveness of the measure.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the members of the European Collaboration for the understanding of filicide Putkonen Hanna, Weizmann-Henelius Ghitta and Sabine Amon for critical comments of the final draft of the manuscript.

Chryssa Grylli developed the study design, assisted with the analysis and interpretation and wrote the paper; she has final responsibility to submit for publication, and is the guarantor.

Ethical approval

Ethical approval was granted by Ethics Commission of the Medical University of Vienna (EK No 412/2006).

Funding

Data collection were financially supported by the Austrian National Bank (Anniversary Fund, project number AP 12200 OENB)

The funders had no influence on the study design, analysis, interpretation, writing up of the manuscript, or the decision to submit for publication.

Conflict of interest

All authors have no support from any organisation for the submitted work, no financial relationships with any organisations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years and no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Chryssa Grylli, Mercedes Huscsava & Claudia M. Klier

  2. University of Birmingham, Lower Brockington Farm, Bredenbury, Bromyard, Herefordshire, HR7 4TE, UK

    Ian Brockington

  3. GynMed, Clinic, Mariahilfer Gürtel 37, 1150, Vienna, Austria

    Christian Fiala

  4. Department of Epidemiology, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Thomas Waldhoer

  5. Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Chryssa Grylli

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  1. Chryssa Grylli
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  2. Ian Brockington
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  3. Christian Fiala
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  4. Mercedes Huscsava
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  6. Claudia M. Klier
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Correspondence to Chryssa Grylli.

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Grylli, C., Brockington, I., Fiala, C. et al. Anonymous birth law saves babies—optimization, sustainability and public awareness. Arch Womens Ment Health 19, 291–297 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-015-0567-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-015-0567-3

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