In a message dated 30/10/01 8:09:59 PM AUS Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< I haven't been able to find much published on the subject of newborn foorprinting for security purposes on our midwifery database. Apart from a couple of anecdotal items from the mid 90s, the only article evaluating its use is: Butz AM, Oski FA, Repke J et al. Newborn identification: compliance with AAP guidelines for perinatal care. Clinical Pediatrics, vol 32, no 2, Feb 1993, pp 111-113. Kathy Levine Infornation Officer MIDIRS 9 Elmdale Road Bristol BS8 1SL England >> Hi all, I have a question with regards to this baby ID thing. I suppose I'm questioning the need for such 'routine' and stringent 'labelling' of babies in the days of babes 'rooming in' with their mothers where there is a high expectation that mother and babe will stay together and not be separated. I would have thought that this practice was more relevant in the days of routine separation of mother and babe - with babies kept in nurseries and only brought to their mothers for feeds. Please excuse my naivety with regards to institutional procedures and protocols, but why do babies need such comprehensive ID procedures if they are with their mothers ?? Is ALL this 'routine' labelling really a necessity ?? I'm not advocating that babes not be 'labelled' at all - I understand the need for some form of identification linking a particular babe with its mother, however, I suppose I'm questioning the process that some listers here have outlined in their protocols of babe ID as two and even three and four separate procedures - leg bands, arm bands and just in case we'll do footprints and other body labelling (tattoos) as well - ah to be sure, to be sure !!!. If babes are removed from their mothers, eg: Admitted to special care nurseries etc.. etc.. I don't think anyone questions the need for routine ID (perhaps even by footprinting) - But do ALL babes routinely need to be subjected to this practice ?? Who is all this labelling practice protecting ?? I think its important also that we look carefully at what potential messages this practice may send to parents, in addition to the purported anecdotal 'acceptance' by parents of this procedure. If staff wanted to label my babe in this way - leg bands, arm bands AND footprints and temporary tattoos - I think I would start to wonder about the safety of my babe and their potential to get 'lost' !! Does it also not send a message to mothers that we don't trust them to be able to 'know' their own babies ?? Yours in Birth, Tina Pettigrew. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
