Baby Boxes Let Mothers Drop Off Their Babies Anonymously

Germany has resorted to extreme measures to deal with mothers abandoning their young babies after birth. All over the country there are so-called baby boxes, where babies can be put protected from wind and cold.

Too many babies die after mothers in vain see no choice but to put their babies outside in a hope of someone finding them. The baby boxes are made with these babies in mind.

More than 80 of these boxes have been put up in Germany since 2000, giving mothers anonymity and babies a chance of life. The boxes are put up away from security cameras, and are as secluded as possible. The box itself keeps a constant temperature, and has blankets and some baby food. Most of the mothers leave their babies naked in fear of being identified through clothing, and once the baby is put in the box an alarm goes off, only giving the mother enough time to get away unseen. The staff of where that box is placed, then go to pick up the baby and notifies the authorities.

After eight weeks pictures of the baby are posted in newspapers as a last plea to the mother. If she chooses to take back the baby, she can do so within this timeframe without any consequences for her actions.

The issue is highly controversial. Critics argue that this justifies abandonment of newborns, and that it encourages mothers to take the drastic action. Some call the baby boxes "dump-your-baby-here" boxes. Others claim that it's against German law which states that it's illegal for a mother to abandon her baby, and that the baby will never know its origins.

On the other side some say that the baby boxes protect babies who would otherwise be left on doorsteps in possibly freezing cold, thus saving lives. The mothers would have abandoned their babies no matter what because they are in such a hard situation, and the baby boxes do not increase the chances of this happening.

There is information on this matter on Wikipedia that you can read here: Baby Hatch.

One of the last babies to be left in the box was Lotta; a gorgeous baby girl. You can see the article where the authorities are looking for her mother in this German Newspaper. (The article is in German, but there is a picture).

I feel so sad for both these babies and their mothers, who must be under tremendous hardship to go to these measures. The babies have no chance of finding their biological parents later in life, but if the alternative is babies dropped off on door steps the baby boxes seem to serve their purpose.