First baby box in operation

International Children's Day, June 1st, saw the opening of the first ever baby box in the Czech Republic, where mothers can give up unwanted babies anonymously. It was installed at a private clinic in Prague, an event that was preceded by heated debate about the moral aspect of this practice.

Photo: CTK

Journalists were given a demonstration of how the thermo-regulated baby box works: the mother punches a button at which the door swings open, she places her baby inside and clicks the door shut. An alarm instantly alerts a nurse and doctor who are there in less that a minute to take over the child.

It all looked very simple but Roman Hanus of the Save Abandoned Babies foundation says it was a long road and there were plenty of hurdles along the way.

"This project was on the table for two years. We spent a lot of time in preparation and we had a lot of problems with the authorities. Many people were opposed to the idea saying that this practice would only boost crime. So we collected a great many legal opinions on this matter and we have reached the conclusion that baby boxes do not aid criminal activity and they do not violate the law."

This practice, which exists in many European countries, has sparked a row between the health ministry and state run hospitals who wanted to introduce it on their premises. The health ministry has put its foot down and refuses to allow baby boxes in state run institutions on the grounds that they would only lead to an increase in the number of abandoned children. Michaela Marksova Tominova, from the ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has done a lot of lobbying in favour of baby boxes. She says there's a deep divide between the general public and a group of professionals who remain opposed to the idea.

"I think that public opinion is really on the side of the baby boxes. The people who are against them are really a group of professionals who claim that every child has the right to know their biological background and there are those who argue that the practice might be an invitation for mothers to give their children away and not have to take care of them. These arguments do not convince the public that baby boxes should not exist."

Photo: CTK

Baby box advocates claim that mothers who intend to abandon their children because they find themselves in a crisis will do so anyway. Specialists at the private mother and baby clinic in Prague say that even a single baby saved from dying out in the cold or being killed at birth would make the project worthwhile. Marie Vodickova from the Save the Children Foundation is certain that the baby box will save many lives.

"This could save dozens of children a year. I think that the idea that baby boxes will lead to an increase in abandoned children is misleading. When a mother decides not to visit her doctor and give birth in secret then she obviously has a big problem and is likely to act in desperation when the baby is born. Right now four to five children a year are found abandoned but I think that there are others, killed and hidden or dumped on rubbish heaps who are never found. So even if we have a slight increase in the number of abandoned children I think it would be children who would otherwise almost certainly have been killed and disposed of."