Report: Mother Surrenders Newborn at Baton Rouge Fire Station

Officials at the St. George Fire Department say a young mother took advantage of the Louisiana Safe Haven Law and handed over her newborn child to firefighters.

According to a report by WBRZ-TV, the unidentified woman called the St. George Fire Department around 2 a.m. Sunday and asked that a woman meet her outside. A communications officer met the woman outside the department. Officials say that's when the woman handed the baby to the communications officer through a car window and drove away.

Emergency crews responded shortly thereafter. They determined the baby was about three hours old and in good health. The child was taken to a nearby hospital. Officials say the mother give them any paperwork about the child or any information about her family health history.

Under the Louisiana Safe Haven Law, parents who feel they are unfit to care for their children may surrender any child 60-days-old or younger at any emergency designated site. As long as the child shows no signs of abuse or neglect, the parent can give up his or her child with no questions asked and no possibility of facing charges. A parent may also call 911 and request an emergency responder meet him or her at another location to surrender the child.

To read the full story about the St. George incident, click here.
For more information about Louisiana's Safe Haven Law, click here.