Kerala has received its 1,001st baby through the ‘Ammathottil’ (baby cradle) centres run by the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare. The baby girl was found at the Ammathottil near the Kozhikode Beach Hospital and was later named Sahasrika.

Her arrival comes just days after ‘Sahasra’, the 1,000th baby, was received at the Ammathottil in Thiruvananthapuram.

Sahasrika is the 11th baby to be received at the Kozhikode cradle since it was opened to the public in August 2025. The two-month-old, weighing 4.2 kg, was found in the cradle around 1.30 pm on Saturday.

“The baby is healthy and is currently under observation at Beach Hospital. If her condition remains stable following regular check-ups, she is expected to be discharged in two days, as advised by the doctors. The adoption process will start after two months, giving the biological parents a window to contact authorities if they decide to reclaim the child,” State Council for Child Welfare General Secretary Adv G L Arun Gopi told Onmanorama.

Sahasrika is the 13th baby received at the state’s Ammathottil centres this year and the sixth girl. The previous baby received at the Kozhikode cradle was a boy named Harithamsh, who arrived on June 4.

Soon after Sahasrika was placed in the cradle on Saturday, an alarm sounded at the nursing station of the adjoining Beach Hospital. Nursing staff reached the spot within moments, took the baby into their care and shifted her to the Intensive Care Unit for medical evaluation.

State Council for Child Welfare Joint Secretary Meera Darshak and Kozhikode District Council for Child Welfare Secretary Sreedev Parambil also visited the hospital to assess the baby’s condition.

The Ammathottil project was launched by the State Council for Child Welfare to provide a safe haven for infants who might otherwise be abandoned, while ensuring their protection, care and rehabilitation through the appropriate legal and adoption processes.