Two newborns were found alone in different areas of a major city just days apart. Another baby was later found in critical condition at a garbage dump nearby.

The situation reflects the depth of ongoing social and economic challenges, but it also highlights the difficulty authorities face in providing support to people who need it most, including access to family planning, maternal care, and newborn support.

This is the opinion of Fernando Pereira, founder of the Community Learning Center, when analyzing the cases. The educator goes further, saying the babies discovered over the past week received widespread attention because they were found in areas that receive greater media coverage.

“The unfortunate reality is that we at Cecodap know this is an issue that happens with some frequency in other parts of the country. There are no official figures; there is very limited public information on cases like these and, in general, on issues affecting children and their mothers.” He says the latest numbers available to the center are from two years ago.

Two years ago, 130,000 teenage mothers were registered. According to Pereira, it is very possible that these babies are the result of unintended pregnancies, women facing additional risk factors, or mothers who already have several children and are struggling to provide for them. Pereira believes this situation is closely linked to the ongoing economic crisis: “It is a reality that can be clearly explained because many families are currently unable to adequately care for their children.”

However, it is a cycle with a common denominator: the limited capacity of the State and the lack of a coordinated institutional response to address the issue from the beginning, including comprehensive sex education and timely prenatal care. “At Cecodap, we have tried to raise awareness so that mothers facing the heartbreaking decision of leaving their children behind are not automatically judged. They are often described as heartless, without feelings, or worse than animals. That is easy to say when you do not know their stories, their circumstances, or the struggles they face. What is truly needed are stronger public policies and dedicated support programs, and that is what we must continue to advocate for.”

The specialist emphasizes that updated figures for maternal and infant health are not publicly available. The country already reported very high numbers in these indicators in 2015, and it is likely they have continued to increase.

“Coincidentally, on the same day one of the babies was found, April 1, it marked 19 years since the enactment of the Organic Law for the Protection of Children and Adolescents. We can see that many of the protections established by the law are no longer being fully implemented. Much of what was built from 2000 until now has gradually weakened, and there is currently no institution fully equipped to provide the level of assistance children need.”

Ideally, the babies who were found would be placed in the care of institutions as established by law. These situations require trained professionals to assess the family environment and determine whether close relatives can provide proper care. If not, there should be approved alternative homes able to offer temporary shelter. “But all of this requires organization, trained personnel, and functioning institutions. It cannot be improvised because these situations are extremely delicate. Unfortunately, much of that institutional network is currently unavailable,” says Pereira.