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Mothers place babies in safe box - 30th September 2022

At Jikei hospital, Japan, there’s a ‘baby hatch’. It’s a kind of box. Women can leave their babies there. Mothers sometimes need to do this. They’re often afraid.

Takeshi Hasuda’s a doctor there.

Takeshi Hasuda: "The most important role our baby hatch system has played so far is to provide a sort of last resort for women left alienated by society, when they have an unexpected pregnancy or unwanted pregnancy."

The hospital nurses are always ready. Sometimes, a new baby arrives. They run down to get it. The nurses hope to see the mother, to help her. They try to get information, like her name. In the future, the baby may want to find its mother.

Koichi Miyatsu’s now 18. His mother left him in the baby hatch. But he feels happy about his past.

Koichi Miyatsu: "The day I was left there was the day a new chapter of my life began. I think it was good that I was given to the baby hatch. Because I was given to the hatch, I met my current parents and now live like this. I am grateful for it. I owe what I am today to the baby hatch."

There are baby hatches in other countries too, like South Korea, Pakistan and the US. But in some countries, the hatches aren’t allowed.

In Japan, Jikei is the only baby hatch. It started in 2007. Lots of people there dislike the idea of hatches. But 161 mothers left their children at Jikei. Later, 80 percent of the children found their mother's name. And 20 percent went back to their families.