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Infant Security
Infant Security
Here are some of the things WE do to ensure your peace of mind while you are in the hospital.
- Apply an electronic security tag around your newborn’s ankle.
- Take a security photo of your baby shortly after birth.
- 24-hour/7 day continuous video surveillance with monitors throughout the maternity department as well as the outside grounds of the hospital.
- Signs are strategically placed throughout the department informing the public that video surveillance is in effect.
- Stairwell exit doors are locked and alarmed.
- The nursery is locked.
- Nurses wear hospital provided scrubs and picture identification.
- Babies are transported through the department/hospital by using their crib. A potential infant abductor would typically arm carry a baby. Therefore, we discourage the use of arm carrying babies, except in emergency situations.
- Department access by card swipe only.
- Never leave your baby unattended, even for a moment. Always keep your baby in sight. Have family members or friends watch the baby while you shower or use the restroom. If they are not available, please call your nurse to transport your baby to the nursery.
- When your baby is in the room with you, keep the bassinet beside your bed, away from the door.
- Anyone handling your baby should be wearing a hospital ID badge. The only staff that has access to your baby should have a PINK BOX around the picture on the ID badge. This indicates that that person is a staff member on the maternity unit.
- Know when tests for your baby are scheduled. Call the nurse’s station if someone you don’t know wants to take your baby for an unscheduled test. You have the right to ask to accompany the baby for any tests.
- Please don’t carry your infant outside your room. Always use the basinet when transporting the baby.
- We ask that you keep your baby in hospital clothes; your baby dressed in regular clothes could be mistaken for a visitor’s baby and be allowed to leave the unit.
- Report any unfamiliar people who enter your room and ask questions about your baby by pushing the nurse call button.
- Our online WebNursery does not include the baby's last name or any other identifying information.
- The use of outdoor decorations to announce the infant's arrival, such as large floral wreaths, large balloons, wooden storks and other lawn ornaments are not recommended.
- If someone comes to your home claiming to be affiliated with a health care facility, please ask for proper identification. If you have any doubts about the visitor, do not invite that person into your home. While you can expect follow-up phone calls from our maternity nurses, there is no reason why any staff member would visit you at home. If you have hired a home care agency, their visits should all be arranged in advance.
Portsmouth Regional Hospital has the Hugs® Infant Protection System in place to safeguard our newborns from the treat of abduction. Each baby wears a comfortable and unobtrusive Hugs tag attached by the means of a soft tamper-proof strap around his/her ankle. The computer console displays floor plans of the facility showing tag locations with monitored areas and doors in the maternity department. Alarms are generated if the strap is cut or tampered with, if the baby is moved to an unauthorized zone, or it the tag’s signal is no longer detected.
Hugs tags enroll automatically when placed on a baby and are individually monitored. Each tag sends a status signal to the main console to confirm presence and functionality. If a signal is not received within a designated period,an alarm will be generated. The system performs automatic self checks on all components and advises staff of any problem.
Portsmouth Regional Hospital also has the Kisses® component of the Hugs system to provide automatic mother/infant matching notification. Each mother is given a small tag (the Kisses tag) that is bonded with her infant’s Hugs tag a birth. From that point forward, the tags remain bonded throughout the hospital stay. Nurses are immediately alerted of a mismatch with an audible indicator.
Here are some things YOU can do to help us safeguard your baby:
Here are some ways to be extra diligent about security, once you're home:
In general, it's a good idea not to let anyone into your home who is not well-known to you. Please be especially vigilant about acquaintances you have met since you became pregnant or gave birth.
Please call us anytime -- before, during or after you stay with us -- to let us know about any concerns or questions you have about you and your baby. Please remember that while it is normal for new parents to be anxious, deing deliberately watchful over your baby is what's most important.
Find a Physician
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Photo Not Available
Deborah S. Browne, MD
Partners for Women's Health
3 Alumni Drive
Suite 401
Exeter, NH 3833
Maps & Directions -
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Melissa M. Ethier, MD
Women's Health Associates of Portsmouth
875 Greenland Road
Building A, Suite B11
Portsmouth, NH 3801
Maps & Directions -
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Photo Not Available
Kathleen Toivanen, MD
Women's Health Associates of Portsmouth
875 Greenland Road
Building A, Suite B11
Portsmouth, NH 3801
Maps & Directions
Locations
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Women's Health Associates of Portsmouth
Directions
875 Greenland Road
Building A, Suite B11
Portsmouth, NH 3801
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