Baby boxing - what is it really? It is difficult to understand whether this method of abandoning children gives a chance to save their lives, or whether it provokes women to get rid of the child. Baby box - what is it: the window of life, the cradle of salvation? In all countries it is called differently. Will it not lead to the fact that mothers will be provoked to abandon children in order to propose them to other families?
Historical facts
History is rooted in Germany. Baby boxes have been around there for a very long time. Previously, it was customary to send a child to a church or shelter, where he received upbringing and education. To keep statistics of abandoned children began after the 19th century. This gave impetus to the creation of the baby boxing system. What it is for the countries of the world is still not clear, because in some, abandoning a child is criminally punishable. There is no consensus on the need for such a method, but often this is the only chance to survive for newborns that their mothers do not need, who get rid of children in terrible ways. Each baby box, the photo of which we can see in many newspapers and online publications, looks quite comfortable for the child, but is it really so, you can’t say for sure.
Operating principle
It looks like a small kiosk that is equipped with everything necessary for a short stay of an infant. A woman opens a small window and puts the newborn in a fabric cradle. After the door has closed, you can think a little. Thirty seconds is enough for mothers to change their mind and pick up the baby. If a woman does not change her mind, the door will not open after a while. The signal is sent automatically to a medical institution, whose specialists will arrive in the near future and pick up the baby for examination and its subsequent transfer to the baby’s house. In the box itself, everything is provided for the normal stay of the child: optimal air temperature and oxygen supply. The cradle is fixed so that the baby does not fall out of it.
Anonymity
Such a system was created so that women do not throw children out in the street and in garbage bins. Baby box - what is it for heartless mothers? This is a chance to abandon the baby anonymously, giving him hope for life. Leaving the baby in the box, the woman is not criminally liable and automatically loses her motherhood. There is only one exception: the child should not have traces of physical abuse. Leaving a newborn in a specially equipped container, by law, deprives a woman of all rights.
Baby boxes in Russia
They first appeared in the city of Perm. In 2011, the first baby box was installed. What is this, for the Russian city was not clear. A group of senators, he was legalized. This made it possible for women to abandon their babies anonymously. Most often, the idea is supported by religious organizations, churches, on the territory of which boxes are installed.
Today the system works in many countries. Used e-boxes in Russia are installed in several cities and regions in the amount of 22 pieces. Unfortunately, there are no official statistics in numbers for abandoned children. Therefore, it is impossible to speak about the effectiveness of the method. However, it can be taken into account that the number of criminal cases involving abandoned children has decreased significantly.
The Russian government believes that such a project needs serious revision. It is even proposed to completely prohibit the installation of baby boxes in Russian cities, as there is an opinion that they provoke women to abandon children. The actions of such mothers should not be encouraged, regardless of their life situation. For the creation of baby boxes, it is planned to introduce administrative liability in the form of fines.
Pros and cons of the program
Do baby boxes really help ? For and against many people speak out. But whether they understand the essence and importance of the program is unknown.
Pros:
- Each box is supplemented by an information stand, on which is written an appeal to women with an appeal to change their decision, as well as phone numbers of support services in difficult situations.
- Hospitals help every mother who visits. Doctors and psychologists work.
- There are fewer cases in which children are thrown into the streets immediately after birth.
- The anonymity of abandoning a child makes the process easier.
Cons of the program:
- Sometimes it happens that boxing provokes women who find themselves in difficult life situations to abandon their newborn.
- The procedure for the return of the child is available only after passing the DNA test and can be delayed for a long time.
- There is no state control over children left in boxes.
- Uneducated people leave trash and kittens in the boxes.
In a situation where a woman refuses her child, one cannot take sides. On the part of the state, the prohibition of boxes is understandable for objective reasons for lack of control. But when you consider that a child is a living creature that cannot be thrown out into the street, such a program can be an ideal way out.