Baby twins left in cardboard box

**Marx** · 6th-December-2005

Two newborn babies have been found in a cardboard box in the car park of a Birmingham Hospital.

The boy and girl - named Holly and Joseph by the hospital - were found on Tuesday morning at the Heartlands Hospital in Bordesley Green.

Medical staff discovered an infection in the placenta of the twins and are running tests to see what it could be.

As a result, the hospital said it is urgent the mother comes forward and have issued an appeal to her.

The hospital said the twins are only hours old and were very cold when they were found. Holly is believed to have needed medical treatment.

Det Ch Ins David Wallbank said: "The first thing I want to do is reassure the mother that the babies are okay. They are in the hospital and are receiving appropriate medical treatment."

They are bright and alert and behaving as you would expect newborn babies to behave
Faye Baillie - head of midwifery
He added there could be a chance the mother has an infection which requires serious medical attention.

"You need to get yourself to a doctor or hospital urgently to have that seen to and have yourself looked after," he appealed to her.

Head of midwifery Faye Baillie said: "They are both in incubators, they are breathing on their own, and they have not had anything to feed yet but they have a drip up to give them the fluids they need.

"They are very small but quite bright and alert and they are behaving as you would expect newborn babies to behave.

CCTV footage

"They look stable and look well at the moment but it is early days yet.

"Within the next 24 hours we will know any problems they may have in the future. They are not showing any signs of infection at the moment."

The twins were discovered by hospital security guards wrapped in a sleeping bag inside a cardboard box in the hospital car park at 0920 GMT on Tuesday.

Holly weighed 4lb 5oz, while Joseph weighed 6lbs 13oz.

Police are examining CCTV footage in a bid to trace the parents of the babies.

**The Phantom** · 7th-December-2005

I know what you are thinking Karl.

Why is a woman who abandons her new-born babies given sympathy and support, when a man who abandons his children is shown scorn and anger and hounded by the CSA to make him pay his dues?

It makes no sense. Especially when men may not always know if a child is actually theirs, and may not even be allowed contact with the child whether they pay up or not.

**Marx** · 7th-December-2005

truly amazing isn't it.

i've had this discussion with feminists and they continually fall back on replies to the effect of:

"if a mother feels incapable of tending to her child, then it is in the child's interests for her to place baby in a hospital 'drop off' point"

B/S

**The Phantom** · 8th-December-2005

Actually I would not object to a woman dropping off her baby at a safe drop off point. As I understand it there are lots of couples who would love to adopt a baby.

Leaving a newborn baby outside in the early morning in December seems very cruel, and possibly lethal.

The problem I have is when you compare this with the treatment men get. If you are the biological father of a baby you suddenly become responsible for the mother and the baby for the next 18 years (at least). You have no option of just giving up your responsibility.

Even if you were tricked into becoming a father (as in the post I made on the Cool Tools 4 Men board), you as still seen as being responsible for the consequences.

**Marx** · 8th-December-2005

Quote from The Phantom

Actually I would not object to a woman dropping off her baby at a safe drop off point. As I understand it there are lots of couples who would love to adopt a baby.

Leaving a newborn baby outside in the early morning in December seems very cruel, and possibly lethal.

The problem I have is when you compare this with the treatment men get. If you are the biological father of a baby you suddenly become responsible for the mother and the baby for the next 18 years (at least). You have no option of just giving up your responsibility.

Even if you were tricked into becoming a father (as in the post I made on the Cool Tools 4 Men board), you as still seen as being responsible for the consequences.

my point, entirely