Foreign : Indiana becomes first state to introduce baby drop-off boxes

Indiana has become the first state in the US to introduce ‘baby hatches’ where mothers can leave unwanted newborns in safety.

The ‘Safe Haven Baby Boxes’ are climate controlled, padded and lock from the outside as soon as a baby is put in. They have a sensor which alerts the authorities as soon as the door is opened.

Costing between $1,500 and $2,000, (£1,000 – £1,400) each, the state’s Knights of Columbus – world’s largest Catholic fraternal organisation – is funding the first of 100 planned baby box installations, NY Daily News reported today.