No Way Out

A newborn infant was left on someone's doorstep last week, a short distance away from Abington Hospital (in the Philly suburbs). The Inquirer reported on the discovery, Police seek help in IDing infant:

The baby was discovered wrapped in a blanket, with a note that read, 'You please take to the hospital. It's not that I don't love you, I just can't take care of you.'

As the papers and media have been reporting, the police are looking for the parents of the abandoned child. The Daily News notes:

The person who left the boy on the stoop could face criminal charges.

Few in the state seem to be taking advantage of the Safe Haven law, which allows a caretaker to bring a baby up to 28 days old to one of 240 hospitals in Pennsylvania if he or she can't care for the child.

Since the law took effect in 2003, Pennsylvania hospitals have taken in only five babies in this fashion - none in Philadelphia or surrounding counties.

See, Baby could have had haven.

Obviously, the precise details of the law are not known to most people. I'm also sure that someone contemplating using the law doesn't necessarily want to draw attention to herself by asking how it works. And although we don't want to "encourage" abandonment, we do want to give those who are unable to handle parenthood a reasonable option, which is what was intended by the Safe Haven Law.

I understand that the woman who left this child didn't technically comply with the Safe Haven Law, which allows the drop off an infant at a hospital with no questions asked. However, the problem is that the publicity generated in looking for the mother (or parents) and threatening criminal charges is that the next person who is in this panicked situation may decide to handle her situation differently.

I winced as I heard the press reports about this, because it brought to mind another recent case that ended up very differently. I have written about the Mia Sardella case several times, which involves the Drexel University freshman who is charged with killing her infant shortly after birth. See Momma Mia (and for the latest update on the status of the case, see Pretty Plea). Obviously, that is the worst result for a young woman who is unable to face the prospect of motherhood.

Yet, by publicizing the search for the mother here, along with suggesting threats of criminal charges, the next young woman may not want to run the risk of being exposed and may, in desperation, convince herself that she's not really killing her infant.

Instead, let's just give the child a fresh start -- and his mother too. That's what's best for everyone.

Tags: News, Philadelphia, Philly, Law