Baby safe opened in hope of ending scourge of baby dumping

Feeling overwhelmed and abandoned because you’re experiencing an unplanned pregnancy must lead to desperate measures.

People are grappling to understand what drives women to abandon babies. Desperation and anonymity are the fundamental causes many women dump their babies.

And sadly the reality of poverty and social problems means many new mothers feel unable to cope with their children.

Then there is the inability to communicate with family members and a feeling of being overwhelmed by the pregnancy.

Whatever the reason may be a shocking number of incidents of babies and foetuses being dumped had prompted New Life Children’s Home and South African Community Crime Watch to motivate for a baby safe to be erected.

In this safe desperate mothers can leave their babies safely, knowing they would be taken care of.

This metal box placed in Mandela Street in the perimeters of the children’s home has doors on either side of the wall.

A person who does not want to – or cannot – keep their baby can come to the outer door of the safe house at any time, open the door to the safe and place their unwanted baby inside.

The box is fitted with a foam cushion mattress for the baby’s comfort.

When the outer door is closed, it locks, preventing anyone else outside taking the baby.

The weight of the baby triggers a censor which alerts the home’s staff via three programmed cell phone numbers.

By opening the inner door, the baby would be fetched within three minutes and taken in for care.

The mother dropping off her baby does not have to face anyone.

ER24 is immediately notified and they take the baby out of the safe and transport the baby to hospital where he or she would undergo tests and the relevant child authorities will also be notified.

“We want to create a culture of caring for women and families who are desperate. Imagine what state you would have to be in to abandon your child,” said Ms Tammy de Oliveira from New Life Children’s Home.

A 2018 study conducted by the Medical Research Council revealed that about 3500 children survive abandonment every year.

It is estimated that for every one child found alive, two are found dead.

The same research found that 65% of abandoned children are newborns, and 90% are under the age of one.

“The findings suggested that a child born in South Africa is at the highest risk of being killed during its first six days of life,” said child protection activist and change management consultant Dee Blackie.

She said because child abandonment is criminalized, moms abandon their infants unsafely.

“We are on a quest to decriminalize anonymous abandonment to make sure more babies live.”

These findings were corroborated by who told the Saturday Star that according to her research, the majority of babies were newborn or in the first week of their lives.

“These statistics are supported by morgue statistics that indicate that South African children are most likely to die unnaturally in the first week of their lives.”

Blackie said according to research she conducted in 2016/17, there was an increase in anonymous abandonment where the parents were unknown and as a result, family reunification couldn’t be considered.

SOME INTERESTING FACTS:

A 2018 study conducted by the Medical Research Council revealed that about 3 500 children survive abandonment every year.

It is estimated that for every one child found alive, two are found dead.

The same research found that 65% of abandoned children are newborns, and 90% are under the age of one.