Japan opens 2nd 'baby hatch' where mothers can abandon newborns
What's the story
Japan has opened its second "baby hatch" at a Tokyo hospital. The initiative by the welfare corporation San-ikukai Social Welfare Inc. seeks to provide a safe place for unwanted babies. Baby hatch allows mothers to anonymously leave their infants they can no longer care for. The decision was driven by the increasing number of women suffering from unexpected pregnancies and isolated births, as well as a series of cases of infant abandonment.
New initiative
Confidential birth system: A safe option for women
Under the "confidential birth" system, women can give birth without revealing their identity, except to the hospital. Motonobu Nakamura, managing director of San-ikukai, said at a press conference that they will be "the last line of defense for the protection of babies' lives." Apart from the initiative, San-ikukai also provides phone consultations on confidential births on weekdays.
Oversight
Tokyo government to monitor baby hatch operations
The Tokyo government, which supervises the capital's child welfare centers, has said it would form a verification committee, which will keep an eye on San-ikukai's functioning in the wake of increasing cases of women coping with surprise pregnancies and births in solitude. Called the "Baby Basket," it offers a safe environment for infants. When a baby is placed inside, an alarm rings, and a member of staff arrives within 30 seconds to take the infant.
Collaboration
Tokyo government to collaborate with Sumida Ward
San-ikukai's website says it expects the babies left in their care to be up to four weeks old. "Such tragic incidents as newborns being deserted, and fatal child abuse continues to happen," hospital chief Hitoshi Kano said when announcing the initiative. "I am going to make an effort to create a society in which this project is no longer necessary."