Baby flushed down toilet

[fireheart17]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-n...toilet-1925083

I'm sure that we've all heard somewhere of the scenario in China involving a baby being flushed down the toilet. Apparently the baby is now doing fine.

But let's discuss it since it appears to have made international headlines. Thoughts?

[Greenday]

What the hell kind of toilets do they have over there?

Does the baby have no bones or anything?

Who actually would think that flushing a baby down a toilet would actually be an effective way of getting rid of a baby?

[Beckpatton]

It was a squat toilet so not like the toilets most westerners are used to, no S bend.

I'm a little conflicted, at first I was outraged at the mother, as it sounded like she'd taken the baby and flushed him, now they are saying she gave birth and didn't know it, and was the first person to call for help when she saw the baby in the toilet.. Either way the mother apparently has some issues.

All I know is the images break my heart (I myself just had a baby 3 months ago) and this baby is a miracle for surviving! I can only hope that the person or persons who end up raising him, (I believe he's currently with the mothers family) give him extra cuddles and more love than he can handle!

[Panacea]

What the hell kind of toilets do they have over there?

Does the baby have no bones or anything?

No, but the skull plates are not fused and are designed to shift to allow a baby's average 35 cm head to pass through a cervix that is 10 cm in diameter. So it's quite plausible to me that this could happen.

A common sign of impending labor is an urgent need to defecate. One of the things I learned in nursing school is that when the mom to be has that urge, to check for crowning (baby's head coming out) before letting her on the toilet. Women delivering on toilets is actually a common occurrence.

Who actually would think that flushing a baby down a toilet would actually be an effective way of getting rid of a baby?

Squat toilets, like this one from Korea:



Yes. I took pictures of toilets while I was in Korea. I got quite an interest in sanitation when I was there.

[crashhelmet]

That's one of the nicer ones. I'm guessing a residence or in a hotel/office building. Some of the ones I've seen in China and South Korea were just holes in tiled or wooden floors. No "bowls."

[Panacea]

Actually it was in a rest stop on one of their major highways (equivalent of our interstate).

I've seen the kind you mention as well. Some are much like modern latrines you'd find anywhere: an outhouse with a wood seat you do your business in that covers the actual hole in the ground.

One was actually quite literally a pig pen. Apparently the pigs eat human feces as part of their diet.

But since the mother mentions actually flushing the toilet, I think it more likely to be like the picture I included.

[anakhouri]

Recent articles sugges that this was an accident, the mother was not trying to get rid of her baby, she called for help and was present the entire operation.

Of course this is Chinese media, so not always the most reliable source.

[fireheart17]

From what I have heard, the mother couldn't afford to pay the fine for the second child.

Given the article I quoted mentions that women are fitted with iuds post birth, I'd be speculating that they are failing.

[dendawg]

Would it be bad of me to be reminded of the entire Baby Plucky "Go down the hole!" sketch from Tiny Toon Adventures?

[HYHYBT]

When I was in high school, a girl had a baby on the toilet, and likewise hadn't known intil then that she was pregnant. She was pretty large to begin with and delivered three months early. Didn't flush, though, so far as I know.

[Rapscallion]

Since this is a debate site, I'm wondering who would be for babies flushed down toilets in this thread.

Rapscallion

[fireheart17]

Since this is a debate site, I'm wondering who would be for babies flushed down toilets in this thread.

Rapscallion

I think you mean "who's against China's one-child policy"

[Panacea]

Since this is a debate site, I'm wondering who would be for babies flushed down toilets in this thread.

Rapscallion

This easily could have turned into a discussion of whether or not it was intentional, but that issue doesn't seem to be contentious for this group.

[Duelist925]

This easily could have turned into a discussion of whether or not it was intentional, but that issue doesn't seem to be contentious for this group.

Or it could have turned into a debate of China's One Child Policy, or some of the rumormongering I saw regarding the childs gender (was it female, was it abanded because it was female and she wanted a boy, etc, etc) on youtube comments.