Japanese open “Unwanted Baby Hatch”

We reported back in November of 2006 that Japan was planning to open an unwanted “baby hatch” and it appears it has finally opened for business.

The nation’s first baby hatch, where parents can anonymously drop off infants they cannot care for, was installed in Jikei Hospital in Kumamoto on Tuesday.

The hatch will begin operations next week after the municipal health center has completed its inspection.

A door measuring about 45 centimeters by 60 centimeters has been installed on the wall of a counseling room for neonatal infants. Behind the door, there is an incubator in which parents can put their baby.

The hospital has placed a letter in the incubator asking the parent to submit his or her name, as well as a notice asking for some clue to be left so the child can find its parents in the future.

Beside the door, the hospital has installed an intercom for consultation and prepared cards with the telephone numbers of a child consultation center and other relevant institutions.

By Sun Tzu on 11-05-2007