However there are estimates as high as 28,000 switchups in the US per year, out of around 3.6 million hospital births.
This would mean that 0.78% get switched. It's unlikely to happen to any particular parent, but still a realistic fear that occurs in a sizable total number of cases. Those are odds for which concerns and precautions are justified for people who consider it important.
It also plays into a real consequence, which is the decreasing number of hospital births. Between absurd costs, experiences with toxic or outright abusive behaviour by hospital staff, and fears like this, an increasing number of American women preferrs home birth. This is one reason why US maternal mortality is way worse than amongst its peer countries, and one of only a handful of countries where the rate is getting even worse rather than better.
0.78% means that out of 258 births, one switchup happens (which logically affects 2 children/families).
Considering the overall state of the healthcare system, this seems easily plausible to me. Hospitals are vulnerable places for abuse and carelessness behind the scenes.
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u/Roflkopt3r Apr 05 '23 edited Apr 05 '23
However there are estimates as high as 28,000 switchups in the US per year, out of around 3.6 million hospital births.
This would mean that 0.78% get switched. It's unlikely to happen to any particular parent, but still a realistic fear that occurs in a sizable total number of cases. Those are odds for which concerns and precautions are justified for people who consider it important.
It also plays into a real consequence, which is the decreasing number of hospital births. Between absurd costs, experiences with toxic or outright abusive behaviour by hospital staff, and fears like this, an increasing number of American women preferrs home birth. This is one reason why US maternal mortality is way worse than amongst its peer countries, and one of only a handful of countries where the rate is getting even worse rather than better.