The Possibility of Confidential Birth as a Real Alternative for Expectant Mothers

Since no child has been placed in the baby hatch at Waldfriede Hospital in Berlin after 2014, it was decided, following in-depth consultation with the hospital management, pastoral care, midwives, nursing staff, and doctors, to discontinue the service, which has been in existence since 2000. The baby hatch is no longer up to date, said Bernd Quoß, Managing Director of Waldfriede Hospital. There are better options today. The value of the confidential birth for both the child and the mother is higher than the continued existence of the baby hatch, as not only the child, but above all the mother, can receive medical and nursing care from competent staff.
Confidential birth
According to the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ), the law on confidential birth came into force on May 1, 2014 and provides the pregnancy counseling centers, youth welfare offices, hospitals, and midwives involved with a legally secure basis for action. Confidential birth is an offer of help for pregnant women who wish to keep their pregnancy a secret. The reasons for this are a life situation perceived as difficult and/or a risk to their well-being. Every confidential birth is preceded by a consultation, during which the mother's details are recorded once. On his/her 16th birthday, the child is given the right to view this data. This takes into account children's legal right to know their parentage.
What exactly is a baby hatch?
So-called baby hatches are small warm beds in which desperate mothers who wish to remain anonymous can place their unwanted baby. The drop-off is not surveyed. The mother places the baby in the hatch, closes it and a shortly after, an alarm is automatically triggered. The baby is taken out of the crib by the hospital's medical staff and immediately given medical treatment. After the examination, the baby is initially taken into the care of the youth welfare office and later placed with a suitable foster or adoptive family. The original mother has two months to reclaim the baby.
History of the baby hatch
On April 8, 2000, the Hamburg association Sternipark opened the first baby hatch in Germany. This was prompted by the discovery of three newborn babies who had been killed in Hamburg in 1999. Since the early 2000s, mothers in Berlin have been able to place their newborn babies in baby hatches in exceptional situations. There are several options: at St. Joseph Hospital in Berlin-Tempelhof, Waldkrankenhaus Spandau, Vivantes Hospital Kaulsdorf and Vivantes Hospital Neukölln. Since the introduction of the baby hatch in Berlin in 2000 up to the last month of this year, a total of 112 babies have been saved. However, it takes a certain amount of effort to maintain the baby hatches and protect them from vandalism.
Book on the history of the baby hatch: Herzenskinder
Gabriele Stangl, the founder of the baby hatch at Waldfriede Hospital, and a dedicated team set up the world's first baby hatch in a hospital, despite much resistance from the authorities and politicians. She wanted to prevent newborn babies from being helplessly abandoned or killed and to help the burdened mothers. For many years, the pastor defended the ethically controversial project. In 2023, she published a book about her experiences: Herzenskinder: Die Gründerin der ersten Klinik-Babyklappe erzählt von abgegegebenen Kindern, Mütter in Not und geschenkter Zukunft (adeo Verlag, Wetzlar).
According to a report by APD
Adventist Press Service