Commentary: Wildly inconsistent safe haven laws put surrendered infants, parents at risk

The NBC series “Chicago Fire” is under fire from safe haven law advocates worried that viewers might be misled by a recent episode involving a baby box. The problem, as they see it, is that while some states allow the boxes, Illinois doesn’t.

But the problem with safe haven laws is far more serious. As experts on infanticide, we’ve watched every state enact some version of a “safe haven” as a way to save newborns who might otherwise be abandoned in dumpsters. Our research