Background: As a means to provide safety for a population at great risk of harm through abandonment, every state in the United States now has laws and practices for the safe relinquishment of newborns and infants. However, there is no national database tracking the population of infants surrendered through such programmes, and few states monitor these numbers. The primary aim of this study was therefore to examine the descriptive characteristics of infants who have been safely surrendered in a large, socio-economically diverse urban area. The secondary aim was to compare them with local population norms to determine whether differences exist and to begin exploring what implications such differences may have for the treatment provided to these infants.
Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among safely surrendered infants.
Results: Over half of the infants had medical issues, and the majority of the infants were surrendered in communities characterized by low median income.
Conclusions: Preliminary information highlights potential economic, social, and medical risk factors, suggesting that these infants may require increased monitoring and/or specialized care.
Keywords: Safe Surrender; foster care; infant safe haven.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.