USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital dedicates first Safe Haven Baby Box in Mobile
When an infant is placed inside a baby box, an alarm alerts staff members at the hospital.
By Casandra Andrews
candrews@health.southalabama.edu
USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital held a dedication ceremony this morning to mark the opening of the first Safe Haven Baby Box in the Mobile area.
The box is located at USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital, 1700 Center Street, on the north side of the hospital’s ambulance entry behind the Pediatric Emergency Center.
“As a children's and women's hospital, part of our mission is to protect life and help our patients thrive,” said Debbie Browning, MSN, RN, CEO of USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital “We feel incredibly honored to have been selected as a spot for a Safe Haven Baby Box. Now those in crisis in our community will have a safe and anonymous option to help give babies a chance at life."
Alabama expanded its Safe Haven Law in 2023 to include baby boxes installed on the exterior walls of hospitals and fire stations that have emergency personnel on site at all times. When an infant is placed inside a baby box, an alarm alerts staff members at the hospital. USA Health operates the region’s only pediatric emergency center at Children’s & Women’s Hospital, staffed 24 hours a day, every day with a multidisciplinary team of academic health care providers.
The box will be available for use beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. Once a baby is surrendered at the hospital, an examination will be performed, and the Alabama Department of Human Resources will be notified.
The mission of Safe Haven Baby Boxes is to prevent the illegal abandonment of newborns through education, awareness of the Safe Haven Law, and offering an anonymous option to safely surrender a child. The Safe Haven Baby Box also staffs the National Safe Haven crisis hotline (1-866-99BABY1) for parents in crisis.
