Chicago Tribune Profiles Reaction Of Women Who Gave Infants Up For Adoption To Film 'Juno'

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Pregnancy / Obstetrics;  Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 26 Feb 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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The Chicago Tribune on Thursday examined the reaction of some women who have given infants up for adoption to the film "Juno," which was nominated for four Academy Awards. According to the Tribune, the women have sounded a "cautionary note" that the film portrays the idea that adoption of children born through unintended pregnancies is a "win-win fantasy" and not a "gut-wrenching reality."

In the film, the main character Juno becomes pregnant unexpectedly during her teenage years and is "in love with the idea of doing the best thing for herself and her child while making the dream of parenthood a reality for a deserving couple," according to the Tribune. Mirah Riben -- a board member at Origins-USA, an organization for women who place their children up for adoption -- said the film sends a "terrible message" to teens and their families by depicting Juno making the decision without counseling or a lawyer.

According to Riben, women who give their children up for adoption often have "tremendous regrets." She added that the film does not address the emotional issues associated with making such a decision. "These situations take time to really digest and really understand," Riben said, adding that the film "hasn't done that" and that the main character "has no idea how this decision is going to impact her for the rest of her life."

About 13,000 to 14,000 U.S. women annually place their infants up for adoption, according to a 2006 report by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute. Representative studies of the effects of adoption on U.S. birth mothers have not been conducted, the Tribune reports. An existing study, published in 1993 by researchers at Columbia University, found that 38% of women felt a large amount of grief six months after placing an infant for adoption, 46% felt some or "a little" grief and 16% felt no grief. Four years later, 55% of the women in the study had no grief over the decision, 36% had some grief and 9% had a lot of grief, the study found. A follow-up study found that birth mothers with open adoptions experienced less long-term grief, the Tribune reports.

Some of the women interviewed by the Tribune lauded the movie for its originality, humor and humanity, but most were at least "troubled by aspects" of the film. Diablo Cody, who wrote the film and said in an earlier interview it was based on a friend's experience, was unavailable for comment (Schoenberg, Chicago Tribune, 2/21).

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