Mother-and-Child Reunion

Big-city hospitals have developed inventive programs to solve the tragedy of abandoned babies

Infant T, Infant M and Infant D occupy identical cribs in a small, drab ward on the second floor of Washington's District of Columbia General Hospital. A Fisher-Price mobile dangles above each bed. No one ever visits them. They have never been outdoors.

The babies were born in October, November and December. They have long since outgrown the maternity ward. They are healthy. In fact, there is no reason why any of them should not be home now -- no reason except that they have no homes. Their mothers left in a hurry weeks ago, providing only phony addresses and phone...

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