__________________________________________Ask the DA

 

I read more and more about the death of newborns who have been abandoned by their mothers. Is anything being done to stop this alarming trend?  

All across the city, state and nation, unwanted infants are being abandoned by desperate, young mothers who are unaware they can safely and anonymously transfer their babies to designated “safe havens” that will ensure the babies are taken care of properly. Tragically, many of these abandoned babies die before they can be rescued. This is a calamity that never should happen as there are other options available to these young women.

Baby Safe Haven is a program that was created by my office to protect the health and safety of newborns that are at risk of being abandoned and killed. Under the program, within five days of the birth of their babies, mothers of unwanted infants are given the opportunity to leave their babies anonymously at participating hospital emergency rooms, fire houses and FDNY ambulances, thereby protecting the lives of the babies while at the same time safeguarding their own privacy. Mothers of unharmed infants entrusted to Baby Safe Haven will not be prosecuted by my office. The program provides a safe alternative for troubled women, but will be truly effective only if the women are made aware of the alternatives available to them through this program. 

All Brooklyn fire houses, FDNY ambulances and the following Brooklyn hospitals are Baby Safe Haven sites: Beth Israel Medical Center, Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, Brooklyn Hospital Center, Coney Island Hospital, Interfaith Medical Center, Kings County Hospital Center, Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, Long Island College Hospital, Lutheran Medical Center, Maimonides Medical Center, New York Community Hospital, New York Methodist Hospital, University Hospital of Brooklyn, Victory Memorial Hospital, Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center, and Wyckoff Heights Medical Center. 

For more information about the Baby Safe Haven program, call your local fire house or the Baby Safe Haven Helpline at 1-877-796-HOPE. Further information is also available on my office’s Web site at www.brooklynda.org. To have your questions answered in a future column, send them to asktheda@brooklynda.org.