Babies/Infants

I’m afraid to fly, although I do it when I have to, but I always think if there are babies and children on board, that somehow a crash would be more unlikely because the tragedy would be even greater. Unfortunately, for this tiny baby, mind over matter would not have been sufficient…

(CNN) — A renowned nuclear physics professor and a six-week old baby, due to meet his grandfather for the first time, were among the 56 people killed when a plane crashed in southern Turkey early Friday, agency reports have said.

The cause of the crash, which left no survivors, is not yet known.

Very, very strange. The police are keeping hush as to whether foul play was involved, yet a mother was found dead and her twin babies were underneath the bed. Who put them there? Obviously we don’t need to wait for the police to tell us that this was either a suicide or a homicide.

OLATHE, Kansas — Authorities responding to a neighbor’s report of a foul odor found malnourished 3-week-old twins under a bed in an apartment containing their mother’s decomposing remains.

Both infants were taken to a hospital Friday, where one, a girl, later died. Her twin brother was in critical condition Saturday. Authorities said their 36-year-old mother appeared to have been dead for several days.

In a world in which bad news dominates, it’s so nice to hear about an out-pouring of support and help for a mother down on her luck (not only is she down on her luck, she also just gave birth to triplets!).

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Offers of help are pouring in for a homeless Michigan woman who recently gave birth to triplets.

“We have received hundreds of calls,” said Janie Bergeron, who directs Green Gables Haven, a Barry County shelter where Monica Roberts, her babies and her mother are staying.

Bergeron’s staff is working overtime this week to return telephone messages.

“There are literally hundreds of people we’re trying to call back,” she told The Grand Rapids Press for a story published Tuesday.

Invitations to take in the 33-year-old mother and her babies have been proffered by people in Holland, Kalamazoo, Lansing and beyond.

Not only did this woman sue for custody of a baby whose father donated sperm in order to bring another child home to his family, the surrogate sued for child support! (First response, without knowing the whole story of course, is what a beeotch, man.)

The details on this case are sketchy but one things for sure, nothing good will come out of it.

Last year, after searching the Internet, the Lamitinas hired Eckard to be a surrogate mother. Tom Lamitina provided sperm to Eckard, who became pregnant in August 2006.

A few months later, the two sides had a falling out, stopped talking, and Eckard hired an attorney.

The baby was born May 9, unbeknownst to the Lamitinas, and went home with Eckard. Two weeks later, she sued Tom Lamitina, demanding custody and child support.

Circuit Judge W. Gregg McCaulie ruled that under Florida law, Tom Lamitina is not the child’s father — merely a sperm donor.

Irene Skurr of Canterbury, New Zealand died when a blood clot traveled from a recent leg injury up into her lung. In a sad turn of fate, Ms. Skurr was breastfeeding her 10-month-old son Cameron at the time, and he suffocated and died when she collapsed on top of him:

The Lincoln woman was an ardent supporter of breastfeeding and she and Cameron appeared in The Press in August in support of breastfeeding rights.

Sergeant Danny Harker, of the Selwyn police, said the deaths were an “absolute tragedy”.

“It’s deeply traumatising for the family and the police staff that attended,” he said on Monday. “It’s a total accident and our thoughts go out to the family for their loss.”

Friends of Skurr yesterday recalled a “people person” who was excited about being a new mother.

The co-ordinator of a Lincoln breastfeeding support group, Tui Wagstaff, said Skurr had been very committed to the group and had attended before and after giving birth. “She was very pleasant, a nice lady – always happy to stop and have a chat. She was pleased to be having her first baby and looking after it. It was a shock to everyone.”

Wagstaff said the tragedy of Skurr dying while breastfeeding was simply a freak occurrence. “I’ve spoken to a number of mothers and we’ve all said she could have been doing anything – driving, for example.”

The story seems to be pushing the irony of a breastfeeding advocate killing her baby while breastfeeding, but obviously the same bad ending could have happened even if she had been merely holding the infant. But I guess that doesn’t make for a good story angle…

A soldier comes home only to find that his 11 month old daughter is missing. The truth is, her mother knew exactly where she was…

SPRING LAKE, N.C. — Authorities on Saturday found the body of a missing 11-month-old girl hidden in the attic of her home.

Harmony Creech had been dead for three or four weeks, Harnett County Sheriff Larry Rollins announced Saturday night.

Charges were expected soon against the child’s mother, Johni Michelle Heuser, Rollins said. On Saturday, she told investigators she had found the baby dead in its crib and concealed the body in the attic of her home.

Female carjackers toss baby out of moving car…

OMAHA, Neb. — A baby was thrown from a vehicle during a violent car robbery Wednesday evening.

Omaha police arrested three women.