Prevent Infant Abductions in your Hospital

An abduction at Duke Hospital demonstrates the reality of infant abductions. “On April 20, 2010 an infant was taken from the nursery. The hospital credits a diligent, highly-trained staff and the use of an infant security system to prevent the abductor from leaving the facility.

From 1964 to 2021, 335 infants were abducted according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Of that total, 140 babies were taken from the hospital (82 from the mother's hospital room). According to JCAHO, infant abductions are usually premeditated acts; however, in most cases, the particular infant abducted is taken out of impulse or opportunity.

The team at Accutech has provided high-quality infant security with Cuddles Infant Protection System. This patented technology provides security measures to prevent infant abduction. Read on for more information on child abductor profiles, child prevention tips, and much more.

According to Child Find there is a general profile for potential abductors and the infants abducted. These behaviors/characteristics should be known by hospital staff and mothers.

Know the Warning Signs of Infant Abduction

Hospital administrators should be aware of the warning signs of infant abduction and familiarize themselves with the information provided by Child Find. Through their extensive research, they have identified common behaviors and characteristics of abductors and abducted infants.

By utilizing this knowledge, hospital administrators can better educate their staff and new mothers on how to stay vigilant and protect their newborns. Infant abduction is a serious issue that requires immediate attention and taking proactive measures can help prevent such incidents from occurring.

Profile of the Child Abductor

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has created a list of potential traits child abductors may possess. Being aware of these characteristics could assist hospital staff and parents in recognizing and preventing abductions before they occur.

The following list was developed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on characteristics of people who commit newborn abductions:

• Usually a female of childbearing age who appears to be pregnant.
• Most likely compulsive; manipulative, lying, and deceptive
• Frequently indicates she has lost a baby or cannot have one.
• Often married or cohabitating; a companion’s desire for a baby or the abductor’s desire to provide her companion with “his” baby may be the motivation for the abduction.
• Usually lives in the community where the baby abduction takes place.
• Initially visits nursery and maternity units at more than one health care facility prior to the abduction
• Asks detailed questions about procedures and the maternity floor layout
• May uses a fire exit stairwell for her escape
• Usually plans the newborn abduction but does not necessarily target a specific infant; frequently seizes any opportunity present
• Pretends to be a nurse or other allied health care personnel.
• Often becomes familiar with health care staff members, staff member work routines, and the baby's parents.

Profile of Abducted Infants

Families worldwide face the frightening reality of newborn abductions. They often wonder what traits abducted infants have in common. Research shows there are a few key characteristics most abducted babies share. Hospital staff should be knowledgeable about these traits to take the necessary precautions and protect their little ones. The following are common characteristics of infants involved in newborn abductions:

• Usually seven days old or younger.
• Perceived by the abductor as their newborn.
• Same race as the abductor or abductor's companion.

How Your Hospital Can Prevent Child Abductions

Infant and newborn abductions can be avoided. Safety and security are key areas that should be involved in systems designed to prevent infant abduction. Multiple vendors have products, alarms, and other measures for protection. Hospitals should evaluate the various product options to ensure selections meet their needs.

Additionally, hospitals should establish specific guidelines for staff to follow in the event of an infant abduction. Families should also be instructed concerning abduction prevention.

The following are information and ideas to aid in creating guidelines and precautions for infant abduction prevention.

From ankle bracelets to private entrance codes, hospitals go to great lengths to provide a secure environment for mothers and their newborns.

Creating a Safe Environment In Your Hospital

The hospital environment should be assessed for potential security measures. Make sure your hospital is equipped with the following:

• Security cameras in strategic locations like the nursery, stairwells, doorways, elevators, and hallways to monitor the incoming and outgoing activity.
• Fire doors are equipped with special alarms. Install alarms with time-delay locks on stairwells and exit doors.
• Consider installing an electronic surveillance detection system.
• Use baby identification bands and check the band number with the mother/father/caregiver's number before giving the infant to either parent. Also, staff should know to check the same bands for corresponding numbers before the infant is released from the hospital.
• Electronic key-card system in newborn areas for staff.
• Nurseries and maternity wards are located away from lobbies with street access with doors always locked.

Protect Your Patient's Information

Measures for infant identification include a variety of standard methods plus new devices:

• Footprints
• Hand/fingerprints
• Headshots
• A written description of the infant, medical records, and special identifying marks
• Infant Protection Systems with baby identification bracelets and alarms (www.Accutech-ICS.com). Such systems have special ID devices that will set off alarms if the bracelet is cut or if an infant is taken from the unit/facility without permission.
• Numbered umbilical cord clamps with matching identification wrist bands. These bands should be secured on the infant's ankle and wrist and the matching two should be placed on both the mother and father/caregiver's wrists.
• Mark infant gowns at the neckline with the hospital name and logo so the infant is able to be quickly identified as a patient of the hospital.
• Infant blankets should be marked on all four corners so the infant is readily identified as a patient of the hospital.

The Importance of Staff Identification

Proper identification of hospital personnel is critical as an abductor may pose as a nurse, doctor, or other staff member.

Photo Identification

All hospital personnel must wear photo identification badges with the hospital logo. Each ID badge must be worn on the outside of their clothing with the photograph facing outward.

“I look for the pink badges," said Amey Walters, a new mother at Intermountain Healthcare Hospital in Utah. She said she appreciates the hospital's security measures. The hospital workers wear special pink bars on their name tags to identify them as nurses who are allowed to handle the newborns.

Take Extra Precaution When Transporting Infants

Anyone transporting the infant outside of the mother's room must wear an identification wristband and can only transport a newborn by use of a crib or isolette. Nursing staff, physicians, mother/father/caregiver with valid corresponding wristband are the only people to transport the infant.

Nurse Janet Frank, public relations director for Orem Community, American Fork, and Utah Valley Regional Medical hospitals in Utah, said baby transporters have a special method of carrying the infant. “If a baby isn't being transported that way, we know there is a problem," she said.

• Staff should identify themselves to the mother, instruct the mother of procedures their infant will be taken for, and expect the mother to question anyone not properly identified.

The Importance of Hospital Visitor Identification

Consider ways to provide visiting times for families and friends while ensuring proper precautions are in place.

• All visitors must immediately sign in at the nurses' station upon arrival. Ask the visitor which mother they want to see, and each visitor must be signed out when leaving.
• Distinctive stickers with the date of the visit should be obtained at the check-in area and given to visitors to wear while in the hospital.
• No person should be allowed in without proper identification.
• Mothers should be asked to designate a limited number of visitors who can come to the nursery.

“We only allow people to view the baby with permission from the parents," said Kim Harmon, director of women's services at Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Utah.

• Only allow visitors up to five minutes of observation time per visit to the neonatal nursery.

Staff-Related Hospital Safety Factors

Poor preparation and training create inconsistency and confusion, which abductors can use as an opportune time for a potential abduction.

Training

Abduction prevention measures should be reviewed regularly and there should be adequate ongoing, in-service training. Infant abduction drills should be performed on a regular basis. Many hospitals are aware of the risk of infant abduction and several of these hospitals do routine “baby abduction drills" in the mother/baby units. Hospital staff doesn't always know if the code called is a drill or the real thing, and they all have to make sure their patients are accounted for.

Timpanogos Regional Hospital's marketing and public relations director, Jacque Brown, said at one of the drills they used a test patient, where a baby was registered with an identification badge, and then taken out of the hospital by a family member. The mother played along as though her baby was actually missing.

“I think the scariest thing we've ever done is actually one of these drills. We knew what was going on, but the staff did not," Brown said. As it is done with all of the drills, the hospital went into lockdown, but this time there was a real baby missing.

Know the Warning Signs

Hospital personnel should be alert to any unusual behavior they encounter from individuals such as:

• Repeated visiting “just to see" or “hold" the infants
• Questioning about hospital procedures and floor layout such as “When is feeding?" or “Where are the stairs located?"
• Taking uniforms or other means of hospital identification.
• Physically carrying an infant in the hospital instead of using a crib or isolette
• Anyone carrying large packages, totes, or duffel bags off the nursing unit should have their belongings examined.

Such behavior should be reported immediately to the unit supervisor.

• Be aware of the possibility of diversionary tactics being used as a part of the abduction. An abductor could create a disturbance in another area of the hospital to create an opportune distraction.
• Be conscious of targeted rooms like those out of view of the nurses' station, close to stairwells, fire exits, or elevators.
• Nursery doors should remain locked and never left unattended.

Be Prepared for Infant Abduction Tactics

Ensuring the safety and well-being of infants is of the utmost importance in any hospital. It is crucial to prepare your hospital staff for the possibility of infant abduction and the tactics abductors might use. These can include diversionary tactics to create a disturbance in other hospital areas to create an opportunity to snatch a baby. Additionally, it is essential to be mindful of rooms that are out of view of the nurses' station, close to stairwells, fire exits, or elevators.

Hospital Safety Policies and Procedures

Safety is critical for every hospital, particularly when it comes to caring for infants. Hospitals establish safety policies and procedures to safeguard patients, employees, and visitors. It is essential to create an effective policy that ensures the safety of every infant, as this fosters trust between patients and their medical facilities.

• All infant abduction protocols and response plans should be in writing and known to all hospital staff.
• Ensure that either the mother or the nursing staff always supervises infants. The infant should always remain in the direct line of sight of either the hospital staff or mother/father/caregiver. Infants should never be left unsupervised.
• Provide the parent(s) with educational material and handouts explaining hospital policies in place to protect the safety of infants. Also, teach the parents/family the importance of abduction precautions.
• Instruct the patient/family to notify the nursing staff immediately if they have any questions or concerns.
• Do not post the mother or infant's name, address, or telephone number where it is visible to visitors.
• Only give out information about the infant to the mother/father/caregiver and always verify the infant ID number on the wristbands before releasing the information.
• Infants should be taken to mothers one at a time.
• Require visual proof of the identification and matching wristband for a person taking an infant from the hospital.
• At the time of discharge, the mother/dischargee must bring the mother's ID band and photo ID.

Common Hospital Safety Problems

After analysis of several recently reported infant abductions, JCAHO found problems in the procedures and systems of many hospitals.

• Security equipment not available, operational, or used as intended
• Problems in the visualization of key areas
• Inadequate patient education
• Staff related problems
• Information related problems
• Cultural factors inhibiting confronting unidentified visitors

Ways to Minimize Safety Errors

Safety is the utmost concern in hospitals, but healthcare professionals have numerous responsibilities and tasks to manage, which can cause safety issues to go unnoticed. Thankfully, there are various efficient methods to reduce this risk and establish a secure setting for both patients and staff.

Reduce reliance on memory

Nurses, doctors, and other hospital staff have an overwhelming amount to remember daily. Use checklists for assessments and procedures.

Simplify

Keep policies and procedures simple to guarantee staff compliance, but complete to ensure patient safety. Reducing the number of steps makes it easier for staff to remember, fulfill and perform policies and procedures.

Regulate

All policies, procedures, and forms should be clearly documented and standardized. Staff must be oriented, trained, and demonstrate competence in these policies. All nurses should be instructed during initial orientation and each quarter in abduction prevention procedures, precautions, and guidelines.

Use Restrictions

If a divergence/discrepancy occurs in the procedure, create a “stop" process so that proper action must be ensured before proceeding. If any difference occurs in patient identification or transport to mother, create “stops" so the baby is identified and secured.

Inform

Actively involve mothers in the care of their newborns. Inform the parent(s) about policies and procedures that are designed for infant safety and security.

Reduce handoffs

Reducing the number of steps, persons involved and handoffs will reduce the risk of errors.

“If mom wants to give the baby to grandma, that's mom's choice, but the hospital staff [is] only going to give the baby to mom," said Brown.

Have the same personnel provide care as much as possible to reduce inconsistency and risk of unfamiliar personnel. Multiple caregivers or handoffs to other departments increase the chance that the mother may not know who is with her baby.

Keep a safe environment

Make sure the hospital work environment focuses on safety and prevention. Ensure that there is good visibility of infants and entry/exits, restricted access to unauthorized personnel, and the ability to “lockdown" quickly.

Team Training

An effective team will make fewer errors so training can enhance teamwork. Develop mechanisms to train new and current staff on policies/procedures, safety measures, new equipment and ensure proficiency. Also, encourage feedback because this will correct behaviors leading to problems and will minimize errors.

A good idea is to establish a review mechanism for identifying system errors to reduce errors rather than focusing blame on individuals.

Infant abductions are generally infrequent, yet devastating for anyone involved. It is important for hospital staff, nurses, and the mother and father/caregiver to be aware of the potential threat and to keep security measures in mind. Preventative methods and guidelines are the first steps to creating a safe environment for a newborn. The second is continuing to follow through with the precautions. This is something that can be prevented.

Parent Safety Tips to Prevent Infant Abductions

The birth of a newborn child calls for a celebration. Unfortunately, there are people who will take advantage of, what should normally be, a happy moment. The risk for baby abduction at a hospital is higher than in your home so here are some things to do and look out for during your stay at a healthcare facility:

• Introduce yourself and become familiar with all hospital staff taking care of you and your baby.
• Take note of everyone entering your hospital room. Even if they are wearing what appears to be hospital attire, contact a nurse if something feels off.
• Always ask for a hospital ID from anyone attempting to take your newborn out of the hospital room.
• Ask the hospital and nursing staff what security measures are in place to prevent infant abduction.

References

Child Find (www.childfind.org)

Delisi, T (1998). Infant Security. Journal of Newborn Nursing. 3:5-6.

Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) (www.ihi.org)

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. (1996). Security in the Healthcare Environment.

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. (1998). Sentinel events: Evaluating Cause and Planning Improvement. Chapter 7: “Approaches to Error Reduction and Prevention". Sentinel Event Alert, April 9, 1999.

Rabun, J.B., For Healthcare Professionals: “Guidelines on Preventing Infant Abductions." Arlington, VA: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (June 1993).

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (June 1993). Guidelines on Preventing Abduction of Infants from the Hospital.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (1998). An Analysis of Infant Abductors. Arlington, VA.

White, Susan V., “Helpful Hints on Preventing Infant Abduction." The Florida Hospital Association. Florida: (Dec. 1999)

Missingkids.org 

Accutech Healthcare Security Solutions leads the security industry for healthcare facilities with innovative technology that works for both providers and patients alike. Founded in 1985, Accutech Healthcare Security Solutions is a leading manufacturer of advanced electronic monitoring and security systems. Our systems are designed to safeguard patients and residents in healthcare and long-term settings. Whether you need to secure your hospital's access points or provide general patient protection, we have the solution for you. For more information, contact Chris Konicek at 10125 S. 52nd Street, Franklin, WI 53132, (800) 356-2671.