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Who could hand over their newborn to another woman?

What drives people to hand over their own flesh and blood?

In this documentary, British filmmaker Louis Theroux spends time with the birth mothers who do, uncovering stories of poverty, addiction and abuse that drive them to heartbreaking decisions.

In California, adoption is a multi-million-dollar industry where agents, facilitators and lawyers can earn up to $50,000 by pairing pregnant women with couples desperate to adopt.

Watch Louis Theroux: Altered States - Take My Baby and more acclaimed documentaries on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*.

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