Social workers remove new-born baby from obese mother

Social workers have moved to take into care a baby born to an obese mother. The mother — who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the children — gave birth by Caesarean section last week in a Dundee hospital but was told within 24 hours that she would not be allowed to keep the baby.

She has already had her six other children removed from her care because social workers feared that they were at risk of becoming obese. The 40-year-old mother weighed 23 stone before falling pregnant.

The parents originally contacted social workers themselves to seek help with managing their children, one of whom has developmental problems. At that time they had a toddler who weighed 4 stone and a 13-year-old boy who weighed more than 16 stone.



The married couple, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were warned last year that that they had to bring their six children’s weight under control.

The father of the baby, aged 54, said that the whole family was “heartbroken” at the loss of their baby. “I can’t sleep, I can’t eat. I can’t tell you how powerless I feel,” he said.

“My wife was told she could stay with our baby for another 24 hours but then she would have to go home alone. She got up out of her bed and left the hospital right there and then. I had to wait behind to say my goodbyes to the baby.”

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