In the maternity wards of Cape Town’s public hospitals, some newborns never go home. Within the system, these infants become known as social case babies — too small to speak for themselves, and without anyone to sign them out.
What follows is a limbo period waiting in a hospital cot while social workers begin the slow process toward foster care or adoption.
At New Somerset Hospital in Cape Town, this reality has given rise to cuddle therapy – a transitional neonatal care programme providing a safe, nurturing environment where dedicated volunteers support newborns awaiting placement. It’s a small but critical intervention, as babies who lack consistent human touch and stimulation are at risk of delayed development. So, for these newborns with no parent present, volunteers help fill the gap during this formative, fragile stage of life.
Abandonment is a complex issue
Working alongside Dr Phumza Nongena, Head of Department for Paediatrics, Kristin Swanepoel oversees the programme. She shares that, “This project has only just begun, and we are looking to grow it so that we can assist more babies and support the hospital where there is a need. Abandonment is a complex and heart-wrenching situation that needs grace and kindness shown towards both the children and their families. Cuddle therapy is in the middle of the worst situation these babies and their mothers will ever go through.”
Research done in 2010 by Child Welfare SA and the National Adoption Coalition of South Africa estimated that some 3,500 babies are abandoned across the country every year — a figure still widely cited today because no comprehensive tracking system has replaced it. Experts say the true number is likely far higher, as many cases go unreported.
As such, New Somerset is just one of many public hospitals quietly shouldering the burden of this crisis. Kristin says: “The nursing staff work incredibly hard to care for these babies, but with the number of children needing care, they need additional assistance. Newborns need around-the-clock care to support healthy development.”
“These babies come into the hospital having experienced rejection, and you can sometimes see this in how they hold themselves. They can be very stiff and clam up into a foetal position. Helping them to come out of that position takes time, patience, talking to them, and feeding them on demand. It is about showing them that when they need someone, someone will come.”
Hope received, hope given
A member of New Somerset Hospital’s Facility Board, Kristin has been involved with the hospital and volunteering with babies in need of care for several years. Cuddle therapy has grown out of that experience. “The infants need love, care and support; whilst the mothers don’t need judgement – they’re already judging themselves. So, the whole point of cuddle therapy is literally, hope received, hope given.”
She adds: “One thing I have noticed caring for these infants – from babies who were only five days old to babies around three months old – is that they don’t cry often. It has made me think deeply about what happens when a baby repeatedly needs something and there isn’t always someone available to respond. I have learnt that social case babies know more than we think; and deep down, with the loss of their mother, they know that they are on their own. In turn, responding is a stress response of rejection.”
“That is why human touch at this time is incredibly important, as gentle, responsive contact can support neurological development, emotional regulation, and the baby’s ability to feel safe and settled. It also plays a role in helping a baby’s nervous system move from stress towards calm.”
How long do babies remain in hospital before a permanent caregiver is found, or moved elsewhere? “It is case-by-case, and depends on the circumstances surrounding each baby. Roughly, babies can remain in hospital for around 30 to 60 days, although this can vary.”
Love, dignity, safety, care
What does the project mean to her personally? “I truly believe in the value of a life and having empathy for people who are experiencing a hardship they never asked for. I also believe in looking after the future of South Africa. These little ones will one day grow up to be our accountants, social workers, teachers, nurses or tellers. They are not defined by the circumstances they were born into.”
“Babies who know how to receive love, care and kindness from the very beginning can grow up knowing that they are worthy of love and that they matter. My hope is that they will grow up wanting the best life for themselves and for the people around them. Cuddle therapy is about meeting these babies in an incredibly vulnerable season of their lives and making sure that, even in the midst of a difficult beginning, they experience love, dignity, safety and care.”
To support the project, or donate baby products, picture books, Milton, nappies, or clothes, e-mail
In a nutshell
New Somerset Hospital Cuddle Therapy
At Portswood Road, Green Point, Cape Town
Email:
All pictures: Courtesy of New Somerset Hospital
