Sometimes I will hear them comment about features that resemble family members. Even in babies with anomalies, there is often a trait they notice to be familiar. I make every attempt to place this baby into the family. When the families discuss naming, I suggest that they can either go with the name that they had originally chosen or they may wish to save that name for another child and chose something different. The point is to encourage naming this baby to help give him or her an identity within the family.
Protocol requires taking pictures of the baby both clothed and unclothed.
The parents are informed that this will be done and that they may choose to take the pictures home with them. If they opt not to take them home, they are kept on file with the social worker. There has been an incident of a family returning to claim them seven years after delivery. Most likely these may be the only pictures of this child as many families are not prepared to bring cameras with them. I try to take pictures that I would want of my own family.