Newborn Girl Surrendered at Lynwood Hospital, the 8th in L.A. County This Year

A newborn girl was surrendered at a Lynwood hospital over the holiday weekend, Supervisor Don Knabe announced today.

"It's hard to imagine anyone wanting to give up a child, but this mother bravely made the better choice for her baby girl. No shame, no blame, no names," Knabe said.

The infant, surrendered Sunday, is in protective custody and will be placed with a family approved for adoption by the Department of Children and Family Services.

The Safe Surrender program allows anyone to anonymously surrender an infant who is no more than three days old to any fire station or hospital, as long as the child shows no signs of abuse.

This was the eighth Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County in 2014 and the 121st since the program began roughly 13 years ago.

"Thanks to the Safe Surrender program, this little girl has been blessed with the gift of life and now has the opportunity to grow up as part of a loving family," Knabe said. "Though we've been able to save the lives of 121 babies so far, we need to continue spreading the word that there is a safe, secure and anonymous way for mothers who find themselves in a desperate situation to get their baby into safe hands."

--City News Service