Pleasantville Strategic Planning and Revitalization Committee

Baby Moses law exists for a reason

Feb 21, 2009

Baby Moses law exists for a reason

By Tara A. Trower | Friday, January 23, 2009, 08:47 AM

When I heard last night reports that a newborn had been dropped off on the porch of an apparently random Round Rock home, my first thought was relief.

At least we weren?’t reporting a story about a dead baby in a dumpster, I thought.

The newborn, only a few hours old at the time of discovery, appears to be fine and is being treated at Dell Children?’s Medical Center for symptoms of mild exposure.

But the more I thought about the circumstances, the more clearly I realized how much could have gone wrong. Officials believe the mother was in the neighborhood around noon and the owners of the house with the porch did not arrive home until around 6 p.m.

A lot can happen in the first six hours of a newborn?’s life, but this little boy did seem to have some luck on his side. Thursday afternoon was unseasonably warm, with a high of 79 degrees.

But still there is the trail of what ifs. What if it had been the usual 40 degrees? What if the family the baby had been left with had stayed out later? Or worse, what if they had been out of town?

Texas was the first state to adopt a law allowing newborns to be left by a parent at a fire station or hospital with no questions asked. All 50 states have such laws now to prevent child abandonments with tragic endings.

I?’m still relieved, but another baby might not have been so lucky.

UPDATE: Here?’s some more info courtesy of the state Department of Family and Protective Services on recent changes to the Baby Moses Law.