Abandoned baby is in good health

PARAMOUNT - A newborn baby boy is resting comfortably at Downey Regional Medical Center this morning after someone abandoned him at a Paramount fire station.Firefighters were returning to Fire Station 31 after a routine call when a crew member spotted the baby inside a shoe box. "Since most abandoned babies are never found alive, this boy is a lucky survivor, thanks to the observant crew members who spotted him," a statement from the Los Angeles County Fire Department says. Paramedics said the baby, who was estimated to be about four to eight hours old, was "alert and in good health." He was taken to Downey Regional Medical Center for a check-up. State law allows parents or legal guardians to drop off babies within 72 hours of birth to designated "safe havens," which include hospitals, fire and police departments, without fear of prosecution.

********** Published: October 16, 2009 - Volume 8 - Issue 26