What is forgotten baby syndrome?? According to psychiatrists it is a real biological blackout, which can make you forget that you have a child in a car seat in the car. The latest case in chronological order, the 11-month-old little Stella, who died in Rome after her father forgot her in the car under the sun. Together with cot death it is one of the most dramatic events for parents.
Child seat with mandatory alarm device in Italy
The incident in Rome is the first since 2018, when the law came into force which requires the use of life-saving seats that warn the driver if the seat remains in the car. More checks by the police on the correct use of these technological devices would be needed.
He spoke on the subject Claudio Mencaccico-president of the Italian Society of Neuropsychopharmacology. For the psychiatrist we are faced with a real disconnect between the functions of the cerebral cortex, which presides over consciousness, and those of the so-called working memory which guides our daily actions. The consequence is transient dissociative amnesia, which can happen to anyone. The mechanism is quite similar to when we forget, for example, the keys in the keyhole outside the front door. It is estimated that two out of ten parents have had such problems with their children.
What is forgotten child syndrome: here are the causes
There are several reasons why this happens:
- lack of sleep or in any case a disturbed and interrupted rest,
- situations of great stress,
- broodingthat is, continuing to think insistently about something.
They can also affect:
- very high temperatures,
- a change in one’s habits, such as those who suddenly change their route to go to work due to a detour.
How can you deal with forgotten baby syndrome?
Once you understand what the forgotten child syndrome is, you need to understand if it is possible to overcome it. “This is a particularly tough event to overcome. There is no one-size-fits-all psychotherapy program. Each of us processes pain and mourning in an absolutely personal way», intervenes Giovanna Crespi, Secretary of the Italian Society of Forensic Psychiatry. «By the way, in addition to the devastating pain of any parent who loses a child, the guilt to feel responsible.”
«It is certainly essential to immediately start a consultation with trained professionals who have a specialization in bereavement. Therapy is more useful if it is for couples. Participation in voluntary support groups with parents who have suffered the same trauma can also be particularly important,” concludes the specialist.
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The article Child forgotten in the car, psychiatrists: “It can happen to anyone” comes from OK Health and Wellness.