Eight hospitals in Hungary have installed incubators in lobby areas to allow mothers to abandon their babies more safely, reports the British Medical Journal. The Schopf-Merei Agost Hospital initiated the incubator program three years ago after a marked increase in the number of mothers killing their newborns or leaving them to die.

• Babies have been left to die in rubbish bins, behind bushes in isolated areas of public parks, or in abandoned buildings.

• Police reported that 10 dead newborns were found in Budapest last year, and undoubtedly more abandoned babies died nationwide.

• So far, 9 babies have been saved at Schopf-Merei Agost Hospital, says an employee.

The program also includes discreet prenatal care and counseling for mothers who do not want to keep their infants -- 500 mothers have participated so far.

Source: Carl Kovac, "Incubators in Hungarian hospital lobbies allow babies to be abandoned more safely," British Medical Journal, July 24, 1999.

For text http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content
/full/319/7204/214/b