Abandoned baby box

[Labarum]

Here is a story from the BBC about an abandoned newborn:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/7044989.stm

In Germany every district has a baby post box where desperate mothers can leave babies, ring the bell and run, in the knowlege the babe will be found quickly and cared for.

Is this a good idea?

Does it happen in any part of the USA, or other places?

[Miss Phode]

Re: Abandoned baby box

I've never heard of it happening here, but honestly some of these kids might be better off abandoned rather than abused, or neglected. How sad.

[Discolemonade]

Re: Abandoned baby box

We have drop off areas at fire stations and hospitals. Yes it is a good idea because we are repeatedly getting babies dumped into dumpsters where they die before they are found. Many lives have been saved thanks to the drop off locations.

[TitianWasp]

Re: Abandoned baby box

They just started them in Japan. There was an uproar the first day because a father walked his 3 year old to it and left the toddler in it. I was in tears reading about it. I honestly wish that there were more of the boxes (leading directly into hospitals or churches) because the thought of people like that out there raising children horrifies me. In America you can leave any baby 3 days old or younger at any police or firestation or any hospital, no questions asked. I really really wish they'd publicize that more at the high schools because it seems like every week I hear of another baby found (alive or not) abandoned. It just breaks my heart.

[hrgillespie]

Re: Abandoned baby box

It's a hard fact to accept that it is a good idea but truely when you look at the staggering numbers of abused and neglected children then yes it is a good idea. The sad part of it is that it's so taboo for a woman to admit she can't handle things, that she can't hand over her child in a respectable manor but feels forced to drop her baby in a box and run so no one knows who she is ........ so so sad.

[Miss Phode]

Re: Abandoned baby box

We have drop off areas at fire stations and hospitals. Yes it is a good idea because we are repeatedly getting babies dumped into dumpsters where they die before they are found. Many lives have been saved thanks to the drop off locations.

Are they official drop off area's though, or is that just what people do? Certainly better than putting the baby in the dumpster.

[Discolemonade]

Re: Abandoned baby box

They are official drop off areas. It's just too common not to have them.

[kate58]

Re: Abandoned baby box

"honestly some of these kids might be better off abandoned rather than abused, or neglected"

I don't know what you mean by "these kids", but I think it's a bit unfair to assume that the people who abandon babies like this would otherwise abuse or neglect them. It could very well be the opposite.

There are all sorts of reasons why a woman's life could be at a point where she just really couldn't cope with a baby and/or couldn't ask for help. Life is neither simple or fair, and for some people it is very, very complicated indeed. And the reality is that help isn't always easy to get.

For sure nobody plans to have a baby and then abandon it - it's probable that a tragic set of circumstance led to it happening and that it is a tragedy some poor woman will have live with all of her life.

"There but for the grace of God go I"

[Discolemonade]

Re: Abandoned baby box

It's called the Baby Moses Program here. I am a birth mother to adopted children, I understand the fear but wow, I couldn't imagine just leaving the poor babies.