Who Cares for the Baby?

by Dinu Manuel
(India)

My sister is living with her husband. She now has a child, but she is still working as a teacher. She does not have enough time to look after her child so they have employed a nurse.

One day the child caught fever and there was only the nurse at home. She got worried and no one was there to help her, so she phoned my sister. My sister and her husband had to travel at least 30 minutes to reach the home. By the time they reached home the child was in a coma state. They immediately took the child to hospital and the doctor told them if they were a few minutes later, the child might have lost his life.

This might not have happened if there were some relatives in the house. In earlier times when there were joint families in one house, there were much better conditions in a home because everyone helped each other. Now everything has changed.

Laurie's Comment:

Much has changed over the years when it comes to who cares for the children. Unfortunately, many mothers must return to work soon after the birth of their children, leaving the care of the baby to others.

It is important that whoever is caring for the child has clear instructions of steps to take in an emergency. Caregivers need to know who to contact and what warrants a call. Having a back-up plan in case the parents are not able to be reached (or if they get stuck in traffic on the way home) is also a wise idea.