Infant Security News
Dedicated
to Preventing Infant Abductions & Mother / Baby Mix-ups
|
Security
Assessments International 2405 |
Routing: [ ] Maternal – Child Care [ ] Pediatrics [ ] Risk Management [ ]
Facility Services [ ] Security
VOLUME I NUMBER III October, 2003
“Infant Security News” is SAI’s quarterly
newsletter dedicated to helping hospitals provide protection for their youngest
patients. Each edition of this free
newsletter will feature current infant security events in the news, and each
issue we’ll analyze an actual infant abduction case. Cases will be analyzed to determine how
security was defeated and recommended preventive measures.
Parental Education Vital for “New Moms” “In The Hospital & “After
They Go Home”
Why is it so
important to educate “New Moms” on their role in the protection of their
newborns during their hospital stay, as well as after discharge? It’s sad but true. There are people who want a baby so badly that
they will stop at nothing to get one. As
a result and despite heightened awareness, babies continue to be kidnapped from
hospitals. Surprisingly, we find that
most babies are taken from the mother’s room!
Because many hospitals have tightened security in their pediatric units
the incidents of infant being abducted from home is on the rise. Security experts agree that an informed
mother is the baby’s first-line-of-defense while in the hospital and after
returning home.
Hospitals should provide the psychological
profile and modus operandi (MO) of a typical abductor to the parents. All educational material should be provided
in writing and signed by the mother.
This certifies that she has received the material and understands her
role to assist in the protection of her baby during her hospital stay as well
as after she returns home. Information
that should be provided to inform and educate “New Moms” on this potential
threat includes:
·
The psychological profile of the abductor
·
The Modus Operandi (MO) of the abductor
·
Never to leave her baby alone at any time
·
How the hospital will keep her baby safe
·
Hospital security routines
·
Hospital I.D. procedures
·
The appropriate way to transport a baby
·
How to protect personal information
·
How to provide protection after mother and baby leave the
hospital
·
Procedures for home visits
·
Risk of birth announcements
·
Risk of outside decorations
·
Sharing information with Love Ones & Family Members
As new parents
begin their birthing experience, it is important to warn them about the remote
threat of an infant abduction during their hospital stay, as well as after
discharge. Even though infant abductions
are extremely rare, it is essential for parents to have this security
information to help develop “security awareness” that will stay with them and
help them protect their baby after birth and for many years to come.
Note: Jeff Aldridge is an internationally
recognized healthcare security expert and has worked with Fortune 500 Companies
in their design and development of state-of-the-art security products for the
healthcare industry. Mr. Aldridge founded SAI in 1994 and
continues to serve as a consultant to the National media and law enforcement on
infant security issues. He was recently
interviewed by NBC, CBS, and the FOX network on mother-baby mix-ups in relation
to HR 78 which is a newly proposed Congressional Bil,l that mandates protection of newborns from
abduction and mother-baby mix-ups in hospitals.
CASE STUDY #1003 Home Abduction
Victim
Mother: 34 year old white female
Victim
Baby: 7 week old Male
Location:
A casual acquaintance of the victim mother was able to
lure the mother with her baby to the abductor’s home under the pretence of
giving her free baby cloths. A short
time after the victim arrived at the abductor’s home the abductor fired two
shots into the mother’s head.
Subsequently the victim’s body was found along a railroad tracks less
than 10 minutes from her home. It was
determined by investigators that the husband helped in the disposal of the
victim’s body as well as helping to hide the evidence. As part of the
abductor’s elaborate story, family members and friends were told the baby was
born at home. Fortunately, one of the
guests attending a baby shower, given by the abductor’s friend, noticed that
the baby did not appear to be a newborn.
She contacted police anonymously after the baby shower. Police immediately went to the abductor’s
residence. She told police that her baby
had been born ate home with the assistance of a mid-wife. The abductor provided several names of
individuals who could verify her story and that she had been pregnant. After police spoke with several witnesses,
they were unable to verify her story.
The abductor was immediately arrested and the baby was recovered. Positive identification of the baby was
determined after a blood sample and footprints were taken and compared to
hospital records. After several hours of
questioning by police the husband finally told authorities of the elaborate
plot and led them to the railroad tracks where the mother’s body had been
discarded.
The abductor was charged with first-degree murder and
kidnapping. Her husband was also
arrested for kidnapping and charged with additional crimes related to the
abduction.
Contributing Factors / Vulnerabilities (these will change from case to case)
|
· Victim Mother & Abductor casual acquaintance |
· Abductor lied to family and friends |
|
·
|
· Abductor lied to police |
|
· Significant other involved (Husband) |
· Abductor fakes pregnancy |
|
· Elaborate plan formulated by abductor |
· Mother victim of severe violence |
|
· Casual observer detected flaw in plan
|
· Critical mistake leads to abductors capture |
Preventive Measures For Moms
1. Be suspicious of
casual acquaintances or strangers that attempt to befriend you.
2. Learn the hospital’s procedure for home
visits and require prior notification before a visit.
3. Before allowing official visitors into your
home, require verification & photo identification.
4. Be aware of
strangers that come to the door asking to see your baby for any reason.
5. Under no circumstance should you relinquish
your baby to a stranger.
6. Do not allow casual acquaintance or strangers
to baby-sit your baby.
7. Never leave your baby alone when away from
home. Babies have been taken from malls,
vehicles, & other places.
8. Do not place birth announcements in the
newspaper. If announcements are placed,
use only last names w/ no address.
9. Do not place decorations outside announcing
your baby’s arrival. Balloons &
ribbons make the home a target.
10. Do not give out information on you or your
baby over the phone or in person to casual acquaintances or strangers.
11. Educate family and friends on infant security
that will also be responsible for looking after your baby.
NOTE: Consult with a Healthcare Security
Professional with expertise in infant and pediatric security to assist you and
your staff in developing the most effective and cost efficient security program
for your facility. In most cases, a
security professional can save the hospital considerably more money than would
be spent on the consultant’s fee.
IN THE NEWS
Woman Pleads Guilty To Taking Infant From Mother
Rueda-Banuelos Befriended Baby's Mother - POSTED:
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/2585613/detail.html
New
law protects babies in hospital - People loitering in maternity wards can be
jailed and fined
By Barbara Anderson - The Fresno
Bee (Published
Mother / Baby
Mix-Ups in the News
http://www.newspronet.com/products/feeds/SweepsFeed/2003/0308/13930-BabySwap.wmv
"Baby
Swap" - NewsPronet Interactive Special Report
produced by SweepsFeed
Faulty
ID check caused hospital mishap
By Michael Lasalandra /
“Officials at
The hospital said it will institute
additional precautionary measures that will require two nurses to independently
check the ID bracelets every time a baby is brought to its mother's bedside.
"We are very concerned for the two families involved and we recognize that
a mistake has been made," said Steven Kapfhammer,
hospital executive vice president, in a statement." . . . Meanwhile, the
Department of Public Health said it will also investigate the incident, which
occurred at
On-line resources
Vulnerability Assessments
http://www.saione.com/services_vulnerability.htm
Birthing Center Assessment Outline (Sample)
http://www.saione.com/sampleassessment.htm
Sentinel Event Policy and Procedures, Revised: July
2002 -
http://www.jcaho.org/accredited+organizations/behavioral+health+care/sentinel+events/se_pp.htm
Future Newsletter Topics
Hospital Liability “When
to hire a Security Expert”
Components of a “Self-Assessment”
How to conduct a successful “Code
Pink”
Educating
Employees and Staff
“Pros
& Cons of an Infant Protection System”
Fallacy
of Foot Printing – are they a "thing of the past?”
Mother/Baby
Mix-ups “How to Prevent the Unthinkable”
How to select an Infant Security
Systems
Disclaimer
Advice
given in this "Newsletter" is general in nature, and subscribers (readers
of this material) should consult with professional counsel for specific legal,
ethical, or clinical advice. The information provided in the SAI
Newsletters is for educational purposes only and should not be
considered 'legal' advice. Websites listed are for reference only
and are provided for subscribers (readers of the material) to have an
opportunity to read the original documents in total. Please consult your
legal counsel or Compliance Officer for clarification of laws and rules related
to your State when applicable.
SAI is
not affiliated with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations.
SAI - ©October 2003