Prevention of Infant/Child Abduction
Introduction
The content of this independent module focuses on several
safety concerns related to infant/child abduction and includes being able to recognize
warning behaviors of abductors as well as actions to be taken by nursing staff in the
event of a suspected abduction. Information is also presented about organizational
standards related to identification and transportation as a means of comparison with
suspicious activity. The learner is encouraged to review the entire policy for prevention
of infant/child abduction.
Purpose
The purpose of this independent study module is to present
knowledge needed to provide a safe level of care related to infant/child abduction in the
clinical setting. The intended audience includes licensed and unlicensed nursing personnel
as well as security.
Objectives
Upon completion of this module, the learner should be able to:
Prevention of Infant/Child Abduction
All employees have a responsibility in protecting infants and
children from being abducted from our hospital. By knowing a few basic principles you can
help keep infants and children from being harmed. This study module will help you learn
about suspicious behaviors and other things that need to be taken into consideration. This
module will also include some very specific things that our UTMB nursing personnel do on a
routine basis to help keep infants and children safe.
Abductor Profile
The typical abductor:
· Is usually an overweight female, ages 14 – 48, average age of 28 years.
· Has planned the abduction, but selection of the target is typically random and opportunistic.
· May seem emotionally immature, suffer from low self-esteem, and have a history of manipulative behavior.
· Usually has no criminal record or may have non-violent offenses such as shop lifting, forgery, or check fraud.
· May have a history of miscarriages or infertility.
· May have previously "faked" being pregnant, or be presenting herself as being pregnant.
· Usually is married or co-habitating, and the relationship is frequently troubled or strained.
· May be attempting to "save the relationship" by abducting a child.
· Usually targets an infant/child of the same race.
· Usually acts alone, but may have a "partner" who will create a distraction to lure staff away from the target.
Suspicious Behavior
The following types of behaviors are considered to be unusual:
· Repeated visiting "just to see" an infant or child.
· Questions about hospital procedures and floor layout, such as "When is feeding time?", "When are babies taken to the mothers?", or "Where are the stairs?".
· Babies who are being physically carried in the hospital.
· Persons who are carrying large packages, totes, or duffel bags off patient care areas.
Additional Potential Abductor Behavior
Abductors are known to search out targeted rooms. These
include rooms that are out of view of the nurses’ station, playrooms, and those close
to stairwells, fire exits, and elevators. Where are these areas located on your floor?
Abductors have also been known to create a diversion in another area of the hospital to facilitate an infant/child abduction. When there are times of high activity or confusion, that is the time to become observant in the monitoring of infants/children.
Actions for Suspected Infant/Child
Abduction
In the event of a suspected infant/child abduction, employees
can refer to their pink ID hang tag. Below is an outline of the basic steps:
· Notify the charge nurse immediately. The charge nurse will call the UTMB police dispatcher and the nurse manager/nurse administrator on duty. The charge nurse will then assign personnel to the nearest public exits until the UTMB police arrive. The UTMB police will notify the Galveston Police Department/FBI.
· Campus Police will take additional follow-up steps such as monitoring hospital exits and/or activating the internal emergency preparedness plan.
· Nursing staff will notify Social Services to provide available support services as desired.
· Requests for information from outside the University needs to be directed through the Office for University Advancement. Information should not be given out to anyone by staff.
Identifying UTMB Hospital EmployeesAll UTMB hospital personnel are to wear clearly visible identification badges. Neonatal Nurseries/Children’s Hospital employees wear the same UTMB badge with a dolphin logo in the lower left corner.
Identifying UTMB Babies and Children
At the time of birth, all infants are assigned a numbered
umbilical cord clamp with matching numbered wristbands. Wristbands may be placed on either
the arm or the leg. Wristbands are worn throughout the entire hospital stay. After an
infant is discharged, the mother may remove the ID bands once she has left the hospital
with her infant. Matching adult bands with the same numbers are made. One is placed on the
mother’s wrist, and the second one is placed on the wrist of the person designated by
the mother. In addition, a picture of each infant is taken at birth and kept in the
patient chart.
Children are identified with one ID band. Bands are to be worn throughout the entire hospital stay. All parents/visitors are asked to check in at the nurses’ station before entering a patient’s room.
When Babies and Children are Transported
There are times when babies and children must be transported
to different parts of the hospital. The only ones who are allowed to transport babies and
children are nursing employees, physicians, and the mother/significant other. Anyone who
is transporting an infant or child is required to be wearing proper identification. Babies
will not be released to anyone by the parent unless that person knows the password that
has been established. Anyone who is transporting an infant or child without proper
identification or who does not know the password is considered suspicious.
When babies are being transported, they are taken on a one-to-one basis in a crib to different parts of the hospital.
Pediatric patients are not to leave the patient care area without the consent of the physician or nurse. Any pediatric patient who leaves must sign out. In the Children’s Hospital, the nurse will check the armband before a child is allowed to leave the unit.
Patient/Family Teaching
Because family involvement is essential in preventing infant
abduction, patient/family teaching is an essential element. Family members are given
written information and are taught the following:
· How they can be active participants in safeguarding their infant/child.
· To keep a deliberate, watchful eye on the infant/child at all times.
· Hospital protocols concerning routine hospital procedures such as feeding time, visitation hours, and security measures.
· Not to give the infant/child to anyone without properly verifying hospital identification. Show parent/caregiver what the badge looks like and explain that the photo on the badge must match the person wearing the badge, and that the dolphin logo is specific to the Newborn Nurseries/Children’s Hospital area.
· To become familiar with the hospital staff on the unit and to know which nurse is assigned to them and their infant/child.
· To question unfamiliar persons entering their room or inquiring about their infant/child, even if the person is in hospital attire or seems to have a reason for being there. Alert the nurses immediately if a person seems questionable.
· To determine where the infant/child will be taken for tests and how long the tests will take. Find out who authorized the tests. Alert the nurses for verification if information seems questionable.
