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Olugbemisola Samuel, Maryland Global Initiative Corporation, Abuja, Nigeria
Shorter maternity leave has made the service of care givers popular in Nigeria. Recent findings show that some care givers now abuse infants. This study examined the impact of maternity leave duration on infants’ vulnerability to abuse from care givers. This was a systematic review and literature were pooled from Scopus, AJOL, Google Scholar, PubMed and Web of Science search engines. The review was done in three stages: empirical, theoretical and conceptual reviews. Findings revealed that 6 in 10 children have been abused before reaching 18 years. Similarly, Nigerian nursing mothers are one of the least paid workers during maternity leave when compared with their counterparts in other African countries. There is a missing link between organizational laws in the country and maternity protection convention. The study recommended the need for stakeholders to re-address the missing links. Systems must be strengthened such that abuse cases are reported and offenders are punished according to the law. It’s high time indigenous firms consider having a waiting room where nursing mothers could have their babies stay with nannies at a closer reach for optimal care. Finally, regulated body must be in place overseeing the sourcing and conduct of persons rendering care giving services.
Keywords: Human capital and labour markets, Children and youth, Fertility and childbirth, Ethics and human rights
Presented in Session 162. Child Care Arrangements: Patterns, Trends and Effects