Italy intros sensor-laden foundling wheels to care for abandoned babies

While dealing with a widespread problem of abandoned children is an issue we have no interest in tackling, Italy's Family Affairs Minister Rosy Bindi apparently feels that hooking up hospitals with "modern-day foundling wheels" is the best solution. Based on an idea that dates back hundreds of years, the sensor-laden hatches that are now being installed in Italian hospitals are accessible only from the outside, and feature a specially designed window in which an unwanted child can be deposited into a warm, cushioned bed. In a recent incident, the sensors alerted the staff at Casilino Hospital, which arrived in a mere 40 seconds to care for the infant and find him a proper home. In an effort to get the message out, flyers in six languages have been posted around hospitals that encourage troubled parents to bring their child to one of the newfangled incubators. Still, we're not experts on foreign policy nor on taking care of rejected youngsters, but going from the cold, ruthless streets to a heated cubicle doesn't seem like such a raw deal for the kiddos.

[Via MedGadget]

[hman @ Mar 1st 2007 3:11AM]

While in Italy a mother can give birth completely anonymously and give away the child immedeatly for adoption without any kind of registration (as in most other more or less civilized nation, I suppose) we have a constant stream of immigration, often abused women (forced prostitutes but not only) living outside the law in constant fear, who can't use that option or simply don't know about it.
Thus this option, the resurrection of the medieval foundling wheel... while it would obviously better eliminating the need for them ad interim it helps avoiding the trickle (very slight but unfortunately constant) of dead newborn found in public wastebaskets or wherever.

[Joe 'Have a heart' Someone @ Mar 1st 2007 10:17AM]

I appreciate the story describing how some tech is used to help better this world.....but I have a question.

While someone may really feel "....an issue we have no interest in tackling..." What kind of heartless, cold, empty person would actually admit such a thing to the world?

[Rigo @ Mar 1st 2007 12:27PM]

Joe:
You're taking that comment out of context. The issue of the care of unwanted children, like you so well proved is quite a loaded and emotionally charged topic, and it's not something most people in polite company would like to discuss because it'd be very easy to get into an extremely heated argument about it. So for the sake of keeping the peace, and keeping relevant to the blog itself (since it is a tech blog, not one of human ethics), that's why the comment was made. It speaks of the blog, not the writer themselves.

I for one like the idea. If only we had something similar implanted in the US, we'd have far less cases of babies being abandoned in the cold, or worse, thrown in dumpsters.

[Mark @ Mar 1st 2007 1:30PM]

I really wish I could have gotten rid of some of my ex's like this!