In Pyongyang, in what is considered the best maternity hospital in the country, mothers are separated from both baby and family. Instead of being handed to the new mom at birth, newborns are immediately taken straight to the nursery by the nursing staff. Fathers and other immediate family members are not allowed in and can only talk to the mother via video conferencing. Mothers are quarantined to prevent the threat of disease. Only at a mother’s request is she eventually able to hold her baby at least a day or more after the birth. Disease prevention takes precedence over maternal bonding.
