Infant dangling from balcony

[Momfurr]

I read this story and was more and more horrified as I went along. An 8 month old had been left by her 17 y/o mother in the care of her two young brothers (10 and 13!) The infant had apparently crawled to the balcony of the 3rd floor condo in which she lived and somehow ended up dangling over the edge. Passers by noticed and caught the baby just in time. It just doesn't add up, can an 8 month old even support her own weight at that age? Would she understand the danger of the fall? Does it seem weird to you?

babies have a instintive monkey like grip from an early age. they will hold on if dangling. she may have been crying as her arm would be hurting.

Thank goodness then that her instinct kicked in. I can't believe they gave the baby back to her mother though, when you think how easily that could've gone the other way

Misdee's righ about prehensile grip, but an eight month old? Wow. Thank God the woman caught her.

yes thank goodness that woman caught her.

my cousin dangled the girls at a young age, (they grip his fingers and he lifts them, always in control never further than a few inches), he also shows us that babies try to grip with their toes as well.

I guess that they felt the mother wasnt that irresponsible. but she is being monitored by SS.

My mum who once carried out some empirical research into prehensile grip* says as far as she can remember, babies don't lose it until they are independent physically - it's there because we needed to hang onto our mother's fur when we were apes and you didn't stop hanging on until you could move about for yourself.

• ie she hung me from the washing line to see if I could support my own weight.

I think in the US they have welfare to work policies which force single mums out to jobs which can be a long way away from home. I remember some poor child was shot playing at his friend's house with no adult supervision as the mother was on welfare to work (they found a gun and were playing with it).

edam, that's funny! (the thought of your mum hanging you from the washing line!) I'm gonna ask my mum tomorrow if she ever tested my prehensile grip!