By Jayne O’Donnel and Mabinty Quarshie USA TODAY
SAVANNAH, Ga. – Latrelle Huff says her twins were conceived by rape.
Now she blames domestic violence for her children’s health problems.
The Georgia woman says she had been in an abusive, on-and-off relationship for six years when she became pregnant. While pregnant, she says, the conflict continued. Huff spent 25 of 37 weeks on bed rest, she says, due in part to rectal bleeding her doctors said was caused by stress.
Two days after the twins were born in 2014, Huff says, the father took a swing at her. He was holding their newborn son. They were still in the hospital. Huff had just delivered by Cesarean section. “He was so angry at me because my milk wouldn’t come in,” Huff, 39, told USA TODAY.
The boy was born with “floppy baby syndrome,” a muscular condition doctors said might be attributed to abuse during pregnancy. Both children struggle with health issues, including speech disorders, and have spent months in instructional therapy to learn how to follow directions.
Share This Post!
The Chilling Effects of the Texas Anti-Trans Directive
By Mira Miller When Texas Governor Greg Abbott penned a letter directing state officials to investigate healthcare providers or parents who help transgender youth receive gender-affirming care, some believed his order would be ignored. [...]
What Is Intergenerational Trauma?
By Ivy Kwong, LMFT Humans have survived for thousands of years by evolving the ability to adapt. If you live with chronic stress or have lived through a traumatic event, certain [...]
Is It ADHD or Trauma
By Caroline Miller When kids have behavior and attention issues in school, the first explanation that comes to mind is often ADHD. But exposure to trauma can also cause symptoms that [...]
Student Trauma Is Real. But Connection Can Heal.
By Gary G. Abud, Jr. As humans, we are hard-wired for connection with each other. When we face challenging life situations, we often seek out and lean on others. Relationships are [...]
Children, Teens Are in a ‘Mental Health State of Emergency,’ Child Health-Care Groups Warn
By Alyson Klein There’s been a quieter, parallel pandemic happening alongside COVID-19: a spike in significant mental health problems among young people, spurred by isolation, uncertainty, fear, and grief. Mental health [...]
Making the Connection: Trauma and Substance Abuse
Data from the most recent National Survey of Adolescents and other studies indicate that one in four children and adolescents in the United States experiences at least one potentially traumatic event before [...]