Kerala's baby cradle scheme rescues 1,000th infant

Kerala's innovative 'Ammathottil' (mother cradle) scheme has reached a significant milestone, rescuing its 1,000th infant. The latest arrival, a five-day-old girl weighing 2.57 kilograms, was found in the electronic cradle on August 4, 2026, and named Sahasra, meaning 'one thousand' in Sanskrit. This event marks 24 years since the project's inception, which began with the adoption of the first baby, Nithya, on Christmas Eve in 2002.

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She is the light of a thousand hopes.

The 'Ammathottil' facilities offer a discreet and safe method for parents to relinquish newborns, preventing abandonment or harm. The system utilizes an electronic cradle with sensors that alert staff when a baby is placed inside, allowing parents to leave anonymously. G Sasidharan, who was present for the first rescue and is now a legal consultant for the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare (KSCCW), recalled the excitement surrounding Nithya's arrival and subsequent adoption, which validated the project's effectiveness.

Over the past two decades, the scheme has facilitated the adoption of at least 97% of the 1,000 infants received, with families adopting from within India and abroad. Of the rescued infants, 681 were girls and 319 were boys. The facility in the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram, has received over 65% of the children. GL Arun Gopi, the general secretary of KSCCW, who named Sahasra, described her as "the light of a thousand hopes."

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In an ideal world, ‘Ammathottil’ facilities shouldn’t exist. That’s the dream.

Despite the program's success in providing safe havens for infants, Gopi expressed a broader aspiration: "In an ideal world, 'Ammathottil' facilities shouldn't exist. That's the dream." He cited various social factors that compel individuals, particularly women, to surrender their children, emphasizing that they should not be made to feel like criminals. The scheme aims to offer a compassionate alternative while highlighting the underlying social issues that necessitate its existence.

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But, due to various social factors, people are forced to surrender their children at our facilities. A woman may have been forced to become a mother for several reasons. She must not be made to feel like a criminal.