After a teen mother was recently accused of throwing her newborn in the trash, the state of New Mexico is reminding residents of law that shields parents from criminal prosecution if they leave infants in safe haven sites within 90 days of birth, as long as there has been no abuse or neglect.
Sites include hospitals, law enforcement agencies or fire stations with staff on duty, the New Mexico Department of Health said.
“This rarely used but critical law saves lives. Increasing awareness about what can be done safely and without prosecution offers a desperately needed alternative for parents who are unable to care for their infants, including giving them up for adoption,” DOH Acting Cabinet Secretary Dr. David Scrase said in statement.
The highest risk for infant homicides is the day of birth, the news release said, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"As a result, all 50 states and Puerto Rico have enacted Safe Haven Laws to address infant abandonment and endangerment," the news release said. "The infant homicide rate on the day of birth decreased from 222.2 per 100,000 person-years during 1989–1998 to 74.0 during 2008–2017 (66.7% decline) but remains at least 5.4 times higher than the rate at any other time in life."
In 1999, Texas was the first state in the nation to adopt a safe haven law, the news release said. Since then, 4,422 babies have been saved by safe haven laws to date by Jan. 12, according to the National Safe Haven Alliance. For more information go to childwelfare.gov.
