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25. Januar 2019

Another baby placed in Basel's baby window


On 20 January 2019, at 06:20 a.m., a healthy newborn was once again placed in the baby window at the Bethesda Hospital in Basel. The little boy was born the night before and is completely healthy. He remained in the hospital for a while for further medical clarifications. The Basel City Child and Adult Protection Authority was informed immediately. All the institutions involved in the baby window attach great importance to ensuring that the privacy of the baby and the mother is protected.

The baby window enables mothers in extreme emergency situations to anonymously hand over their child to safe medical care. This is intended to prevent child abandonment and infanticide, which have occurred time and again in the past. The baby window in Basel was set up by the Bethesda Hospital and the charitable foundation Swiss Aid for Mother and Child (SAMC-Foundation.ch).

The mother and father of the child have the right to reclaim the child until the adoption is completed. The child is returned to the mother or father, if the motherhood or fatherhood could be established beyond doubt and the conditions for the admission of the child are met. Adoption is only possible after one year of care and upbringing by adoptive parents. To date, 23 babies have been placed in baby windows throughout Switzerland.