Baby Girl is Iowa's 10th Safe Haven Baby

Tools

Baby Girl is Iowa's 10th Safe Haven Baby

By Becky Ogann

DES MOINES (AP) - A baby girl born at an Iowa hospital last month is in state custody under Iowa's safe haven law.

The baby was born about 5 weeks premature on April 24. Roger Munns of the Iowa Department of Human Services says the mother left the hospital soon after delivery and requested the baby be a safe haven child.

Munns says officials waited to release information about the child because someone called the hospital and asked about the baby shortly after she was born. No information was provided and there has been no other contact.

This is the tenth time a baby has been protected under the law since it was passed in 2001. It allows unwanted babies 14 days or younger to be left at any medical facility with no questions asked.

Thursday, May 15 at 2:25 PM The Right Thing wrote ...

THANK YOU to the mother of this child!!! You did the right thing. Do not let anyone judge you. To the people hating on the woman, do you walk in her shoes?? Shame on the ones judging this woman!!!

Flag for moderation

Thursday, May 15 at 1:45 PM ... wrote ...

God bless! God bless! Thank you! Thank you!

Flag for moderation

Thursday, May 15 at 11:50 AM Sarah wrote ...

This is one of the best things Iowa has ever done! Thank god that child will have a chance to grow into a successful woman, instead of being left in a dumpster. Yes there are ways to prevent pregnancy but it happens. At least this girl was smart enough to take advantage of such a wonderful opportunity. Good job!!

Flag for moderation

Thursday, May 15 at 2:03 AM tax money? wrote ...

Here's an education for you: If the mother instead threw the baby in a dumpster, we would have spent more tax money in court and then while she was in prison. Which way did we save money? THANK YOU FOR BEING A RESPONSIBLE MOTHER!!!! YOU HAD MORE SENSE THAN SOME MOTHERS AND YOUR BABY THANKS YOU!!

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 9:40 PM mother of two wrote ...

thank god she was able to use the safe haven it could have been worse and they could have found the baby in a dumpster. Alot of people say she shouldn't have gotten pregnant, well mabey when she was pregnant she had every intention of keeping the baby but something during the pergnancy changed. at least she used her head and didn't kill the baby. thank you woman for giving your baby a chance to live.

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 8:24 PM Trina wrote ...

It takes a strong person to do wha she did thank god for safe haven...I hope the girl is doing alright and can move on in life and know she gave this child a better life.

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 7:07 PM Michelle wrote ...

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the Safe Haven law. It should apply to kids of ALL ages. I don't care about parent responsiblity - I care about children's lives. Unstable or trapped parents kill, maim, and permanently damage their children. Give them an out - I will pay for those of you who are worried about your tax dollars, triple my taxes. If it keeps one more child alive I will eat broth and bread every day for life!

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 4:43 PM Anonymous wrote ...

I agree that it's unfair to judge the mom. We don't know all the circumstances, for all we know this girl could have been sexually molested or raped. I applaud her for giving the baby a chance at life.

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 3:45 PM Lynn wrote ...

I am so proud of the mother for doing the right thing. I am so releaved we have the "Safe Haven" law. I think the person who wrote "if you don't want a bay then don't get pregnant" must be very niave and ignorant. This new baby girl was loved by her birth mother and will be loved everyday by her new parents. God bless this baby!

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 3:37 PM mother of 3 wrote ...

thank god for the SAFE HAVEN law but what id like to know is how can u just walk away from a baby after u have carried it and given birth to it. when i had my children it was the greatest thing in my life i guess some people just take things for granted and want everyone else to take care or their problems. if u dont want the baby then dont get pregnant! there are ways to prevent that. PLANNED PARENTHOOD is here for people who need it! hopefully this woman will think next time.

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 2:52 PM Angela wrote ...

Thanks God for the "safe haven" law. This child has a chance and I would rather use my tax dollars on saving a life than throwing it away on other things. No matter if the parents learned anything or not, which I pray to God they did, this law protects everyone who might have made a mistake and the little one who didn't make any.

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 2:50 PM For Safe Havens wrote ...

I am proud of the mother, and shame on some of you. You do not know this person's circumstances. How dare you judge!! And any child that goes to safe havens that are adopted; the adoptive parents have to pick up the hospital bill. So save your breath about wasting tax payers money!!! The taxpayers do not hoof the bill for this. And if we did it is better than paying for another Baby Chelsea!

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 2:40 PM ANON wrote ...

DO NOT SHAME THIS PERSON FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING. THERE COULD BE SEVERAL REASONS WHY SHE WAS PREGNANT. WE SHOULDN'T ASSUME THAT SHE WAS SLEEPING AROUND & GOT PREGNANT. ONLY SHE WILL KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. WE SHOULD BE COMMENDING HER FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING. NOW THIS BABY CAN GO TO A GOOD HOME & WILL BE LOVED. SHE WILL BE THE ONE THAT HAS TO LIVE WITH THE FACT THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO CARE FOR THE CHILD HERSELF. I AM SURE LEAVING HER BABY WAS PUNISH ENOUGH.

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 2:39 PM Anonymous wrote ...

Getting tossed away like a bag of garbage would be if they chucked the kid into a dumpster. Instead they did the semi-responsible thing and left the child in a safe place to be adopted out and perhaps have a better lifestyle. Stop your ranting and raving. Once the cow is out of the barn, you deal with what you are given. This sitation could have turned out much worse.

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 2:13 PM thank you wrote ...

While I agree that if you don't want the responsibility of parenthood, you should not engage in casual sex, I applaud this mother for choosing to give her child life and leaving her in a safe place where will be cared for and given to a family who will want and love her.

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 1:59 PM gracefullove wrote ...

that is harsh and unloving to only care about taxpayer money when a babys life is at risk. I am so proud and am thanking the Lord for this woman to do the right thing and leaving it at the hospital. This person made the right choice and I'm sure it wasnt an easy choice to make. God Bless.

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 1:36 PM Jen wrote ...

I find it very sad that someone would leave their child, but I also would rather someone leave them in a 'safe' place than to do anything harmful.

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 12:32 PM lesson learned? wrote ...

Hopefully the mother and father take steps to prevent this from happening again and again. They want to play around with casual sex but won't take the responsibility or consequence from the results so this poor little baby gets tossed aside like a bag of garbage. It's a down right shame!

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 12:20 PM you did the right thing.... wrote ...

i am very proud of this person who did the right thing by leaving her baby in the hospital not in a dumpster. i am glad to know that this baby will go to a great home and will have a great life. i am sure it was hard for you, but know that god will forgive you.

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 11:59 AM Anonymous wrote ...

Maybe they should expand this safe haven law to include more kids. What happens to the kids who are older than 14 days old????

Flag for moderation

Wednesday, May 14 at 11:31 AM unknown wrote ...

If you don't want a baby, don't get pregnant. There are lots and lots of ways to prevent it. Save the taxpayers of Iowa some money!!!

Flag for moderation

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 500 Characters Left

By submitting a comment to this web site, I affirm that I have read, understand, agree to and shall abide by the following rules and regulations as a term and condition of all comments which I may post. As terms and conditions of using this KCRG web site, I agree that I am fully responsible for the contents of all statements which I make. To the best of my knowledge, all such statements are true, fair, and accurate. I shall not post any statements which attack a person’s integrity or moral character, expose a person to public hatred, contempt or ridicule, deprive a person of the benefits of public confidence and social dealings, or injure a person in the maintenance of that person’s business. I shall not knowingly post content that violates the copyright, trademark, patent or other intellectual property right of a third person. I shall not post content that is false, liable, defamatory, obscene, abusive, that violates a person’s right to privacy, that otherwise violates any applicable local, state, national or international law or that is otherwise inappropriate. I acknowledge that if I post a comment which violates this policy that an offended person to whom comments are directed may have a right through judicial process to determine my identity and make a claim against me for damages. I agree that I shall indemnify KCRG, its employees, agents, representatives and affiliates from any and all expenses KCRG may incur as a result of comments I post which violate this policy, claims and/or damages, including but not limited to reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. KCRG is not responsible for the contents posted or anything arising out of the use of the contents or other interaction and has no obligation or duty to monitor or control any posting but does reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove, or edit user generated comment.

Athlete of the Week
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
More On Demand

What's On KCRG

8:01
I Survived a Japanese
9:00
Primetime: The Outsiders
10:00
KCRG-TV9 News at 10
10:35
Two and a Half Men