DNA test reveals babies swapped at birth in Peru

A DNA test to confirm paternity and claim child support led a mother in rural Peru to discover the child she had raised for six years was not biologically hers, or her ex-partner's.

The woman, who gave birth at a public hospital in Jaén on Christmas Eve in 2018, was devastated to learn that her son had been mistakenly switched at birth. A second DNA test confirmed the findings, prompting an official investigation into a possible baby swap at birth. Authorities tested three other mothers who had delivered babies that same night. Eventually, it was determined that two boys had been mistakenly switched due to hospital negligence, and each had grown up with the wrong family since then.

'I am adapting to my child who was born from me, who has been brought to me, and at the same time, I miss my little boy, who went to live in the countryside with his real mother,' said Ruth Cieza, one of the mothers. 'I can't get the memory of my little boy [out] of my head.'

Ruth and the second mother, Maria Chilcón, exchanged the children. But the emotional toll has been severe. Maria reportedly fainted in front of the press before returning to her village without the boy she had raised. 'I don't know what to do, my God, I want them to help me. One doesn't want to leave, and the other doesn't want to stay,' she said. Maria recalled even questioning nurses at the time of her son's birth, saying she didn't believe the baby was hers, but was reassured: 'Of course he is.'

Both families have now begun legal proceedings against Jaén Hospital. According to Ruth's sister, Mayra Cieza, no hospital representatives have appeared in court. A judge has ordered group therapy for both families and the children, along with new birth certificates.

Despite their efforts to reconnect with their biological children, both mothers admit the transition has been painful. Ruth described a visit to an amusement park with her biological son, sharing that he was struggling to adjust to his new surroundings.

The case has drawn national attention in Peru and sparked demands for accountability and better hospital safeguards to prevent similar mistakes in the future.