Baby Hatch Gets Its First Infant

The press is reporting that a baby was found in Kumamoto Prefecture’s controversial “Baby Post” unwanted child drop-off hatch on the 12th. The baby was left with a letter containing his name, birthday, and apology from his parents. He is a 2-month old boy, which would make him the first actual “baby” dropped off at the hatch. Prior to this latest child, there had been one other kid left there: 3-year-old boy was placed by his father in the hatch at the hospital shortly after it opened in May.

Update: We’ve got a third now…

Two babies have been left in a controversial “baby hatch” for unwanted newborns at a Japanese hospital over the past week, bringing to three the number of children left there since it opened in May, media said on Sunday.

The incubator-like box, similar to facilities long in use in Germany, was set up by the Catholic-run Jikei hospital in southwestern Japan to allow parents to drop off babies safely and anonymously if they feel they cannot care for them.

A baby boy aged around two months was left in the hatch on Tuesday with a note believed to be written by his parents saying “We can’t raise him,” along with his name and date of birth, the Nikkei business daily said.

The third child was left on Friday. No further details were available, although it too was believed to be an infant, media said.