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SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — It's been as much a part of New Year's as Times Square and college football, but there won't be any fanfare for the first baby of 2015 in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Scranton's Moses Taylor Hospital and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital say they will no longer publicize the first babies of the year, citing abduction and identity theft concerns.
The Times-Tribune reports Tuesday (http://bit.ly/1JZKg72) it's part of a new mandate from the hospitals' Tennessee-based owner, Community Health Systems.
News outlets have made the year's first baby a decades-long fixture on an otherwise slow news day.
But the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says disseminating hometowns, full names and other identifying information could put the newborn and family at risk.
The organization suggests hospitals release a photo and baby's first name instead.
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Information from: The Times-Tribune, http://thetimes-tribune.com/
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