Saving Utah babies, one Tweet at a time

Intended to save children’s lives, the Utah Newborn Safe Haven law has been in effect since 2001. The goal is to prevent women from abandoning infants in places such as trash cans and bathrooms, putting the child’s life at risk.

Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Millcreek, sponsored the original law after hearing horror stories of infants left in unsafe places. She recalled the media coverage of one young Utah woman who left her newborn in a drawer in her parents’ home. The baby was found days later, dead.

"Most young women are not home reading the Utah Code," said Arent, explaining the need to continue to spread the word about the program.

Exactly how many babies have been saved in Utah is difficult to determine, because some women call the Safe Haven hotline at 1-866-458-0058 to learn about resources such as adoption, pregnancy health information and programs that provide financial support for keeping a baby. Salt Lake Tribune