Babies Left to Sleep Outside in the Soviet Union
During the early to mid-20th century in the Soviet Union, there was a practice known as “baby farming” or “child exposure” where infants were sometimes left to sleep outside, even in cold weather conditions. This practice was based on the belief that fresh air and exposure to nature would promote the child’s health and strengthen their immune system. The idea behind leaving babies outdoors stemmed from the influence of the theories of hygiene and the naturalistic approach to child-rearing.
Some proponents of this practice believed that infants needed to be toughened up and exposed to natural elements to develop resilience and resistance to illness. Parents or caregivers would typically place the infants in cribs or wrapped in blankets and leave them outside to sleep, often in specially designated areas or on balconies. In some cases, babies were left outside for extended periods, including overnight.
