The Baby Scoop Era: Unwed Mothers, Infant Adoption, and Forced Surrender

by Karen Wilson-Buterbaugh

An expose of adoption industry between end of World War II and the passage of Roe v. Wade mainly in the very words of the "professionals" working in the field of infant adoption during that time period.

Genres: Adoption

435 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 14, 2017

Reviews

[Dr. Vicci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended by my 70 year old adopted cousin. This book "documents" the fraudulent, coercive, and illegal practices of public workers, attorneys, doctors, and churches between WWII and Roe V Wade. BSE is proof, America treated White single pregnant women, as enslaved Black women living on plantations prior to the Civil war: their infant children were sold to the highest bidder.
Feb. 2018, Congress passed H.R. 253 The Family First Prevention Services Act. This philosophically reverses public policies: it is now a US law to prioritize keeping gestational Moms and their infants together. The reason to reverse this policy was determined reading scientific evidence published by neurologists and psychologists. Perry et al. (1995) the trauma of early gestational maternal-infant separation “determines the organizational and functioning status of the mature brain,” and this “dissociation become [s] a [permanent] maladaptive trait” (Abstract), that permanently alters “the limbic...responsible for attachment, affects regulation and aspects of emotion” (p. 274). Analyzing infant brains using MRI’s, Schore (2001a.b., 2003a.b.) found this early infant separation to be the genesis of adult personality disorders. Google scholar the work of these scientists. There is more scientific studies regarding the outcomes of gestational parent-infant separation.

[Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good data. Sometimes I felt like the author was saying the same thing over and over again. I wish she had spent more time on the adoptees' and birth fathers' POVs and not just the birth mothers'.

[Jenell Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every woman should read this.

[Elva Paulson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an eyeopener since I was a young social worker at the end of the baby scoop era. I found a lot of the book rang true, but I also felt it was biased.

[Autumn Stars · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very informative.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an adoptee and part of this era. I am horrified that this happened to women who were in such pain. The book is written from a very clinical perspective. As a psychotherapist, I appreciated that the facts were backed by studies. This is an extremely disturbing chapter in American history. Adoption trauma is a very real problem for kids and moms from this time period. The book will help you understand why and how the trauma occurred.