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From here: http://news.uk.msn.com/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=4896953
A Japanese hospital has opened the country's only anonymous drop box for unwanted children.
The baby drop-off, called "Crane's Cradle," was opened by the Catholic-run Jikei Hospital in the southern city of Kumamoto as a way to discourage abortions and the abandonment of children in unsafe public places. The hospital described it as a parent's last resort.
A small hatch on the side of the hospital allows people to drop off babies into an incubator 24 hours a day. An alarm would notify hospital staff of any new arrival. The infants will initially be cared for by the hospital and then put up for adoption.
"We started the service, but hope it won't be used," head nurse Yukiko Tajiri said. "I hope it is seen as a symbol that we are always here for parents to share their difficulty."
But government officials warned the service might only encourage more abandonments.
"In principle, parents should not abandon their babies anonymously," said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said it was "fundamental for parents to raise their children with their own hands".
Similar baby drops exist in Germany and South Africa. Some US states, such as Alabama and Minnesota, also have programmes that protect the identities of women who give up their babies.
The drop box comes after a series of high-profile cases in which newborn babies were left in parks and supermarkets triggering a public outcry.
With no law against abortions and no clear religious taboos in predominantly Buddhist Japan, the procedure is readily available and widespread.
Nearly 290,000 cases of abortion were reported in 2005, according to the Health Ministry.
It's a crying shame that this box is even needed. I can't stand the thought of people popping out babies and simply discarding their offspring. Although most of these cases involve young, unmarried (and not even 'dating') women, it also happens from women/parents of all walks of life.
On the plus-side (if there's such a thing in this case!), at least these babies can be taken to a safe place. Perhaps abortion figures will also drop.
If a woman bears a child, she should be responsible for it. If she's unmarried, Allah will deal with her judgement - nobody else. It's a shame that society judges such women as though they have been granted the God-given power to do so. If the child is unwanted (not fair on the child, but it happens), or if she is unable to support it, then it should be safely and legitimately delivered into the hands of those who do want it, and can care for it. Abandonment is not the answer. The ability to reproduce is one of the most precious gifts from Allah, it's such a shame that it's not taken seriously by some.
A Japanese hospital has opened the country's only anonymous drop box for unwanted children.
The baby drop-off, called "Crane's Cradle," was opened by the Catholic-run Jikei Hospital in the southern city of Kumamoto as a way to discourage abortions and the abandonment of children in unsafe public places. The hospital described it as a parent's last resort.
A small hatch on the side of the hospital allows people to drop off babies into an incubator 24 hours a day. An alarm would notify hospital staff of any new arrival. The infants will initially be cared for by the hospital and then put up for adoption.
"We started the service, but hope it won't be used," head nurse Yukiko Tajiri said. "I hope it is seen as a symbol that we are always here for parents to share their difficulty."
But government officials warned the service might only encourage more abandonments.
"In principle, parents should not abandon their babies anonymously," said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said it was "fundamental for parents to raise their children with their own hands".
Similar baby drops exist in Germany and South Africa. Some US states, such as Alabama and Minnesota, also have programmes that protect the identities of women who give up their babies.
The drop box comes after a series of high-profile cases in which newborn babies were left in parks and supermarkets triggering a public outcry.
With no law against abortions and no clear religious taboos in predominantly Buddhist Japan, the procedure is readily available and widespread.
Nearly 290,000 cases of abortion were reported in 2005, according to the Health Ministry.
It's a crying shame that this box is even needed. I can't stand the thought of people popping out babies and simply discarding their offspring. Although most of these cases involve young, unmarried (and not even 'dating') women, it also happens from women/parents of all walks of life.
On the plus-side (if there's such a thing in this case!), at least these babies can be taken to a safe place. Perhaps abortion figures will also drop.
If a woman bears a child, she should be responsible for it. If she's unmarried, Allah will deal with her judgement - nobody else. It's a shame that society judges such women as though they have been granted the God-given power to do so. If the child is unwanted (not fair on the child, but it happens), or if she is unable to support it, then it should be safely and legitimately delivered into the hands of those who do want it, and can care for it. Abandonment is not the answer. The ability to reproduce is one of the most precious gifts from Allah, it's such a shame that it's not taken seriously by some.
its a shame !