U.N. alarmed by rise in babies abandoned anonymously

The practice of secret child abandonment was once common throughout Europe, but was largely phased out in the past century. Now, the "baby boxes" are returning — and this trend has alarmed the United Nations. The U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child reported that since 2000, almost 200 hatches have appeared (most at hospitals) across Europe, and more than 400 children have been abandoned. The U.N. argues that the boxes should be "replaced by better state provision of family planning, counseling for women and support for unplanned pregnancies."