Having the right infant protection system can boost your child’s safety and give you reinforced peace of mind when they are out of your sight while staying in the hospital or undergoing care. Not only do these systems provide parents with peace of mind, but they also provide staff with reassurance that all infants in their care are safe and accounted for at all times. Successful infant protection setups should involve multi-factor security measures that work together to create a seamless, and error-free system that offers consistent and reliable protection.
The Basics of Infant Protection
Every hospital and infant care center has some form of identification and security system in place, however, mother-baby mix-ups, breast milk storage mismanagement, and infant mix-ups still occur, although they are not as well documented. When incidents like this do occur, the consequences can be incredibly serious, resulting in costly litigation, significant health risks, and irreversible damage to a facility’s reputation.
In most facilities, infants are given an identification band that has the mother’s information, and these bands can be scanned manually when transferring the baby to and from the mother. However, there is a wide margin of user error on staff’s end, because these bands have to be manually scanned and verified, if forgotten an infant could be swapped without any alert or detection. Every infant protection system needs some sort of logging and verification/monitoring feature, without it there is no way to guarantee constant coverage.
Incorporate Technology into Your Setup
The rapid innovation in technology in recent years has revolutionized the way infant protection setups are run. Electronic monitoring and tracking systems, such as KinderGUARD®, are now able to record and report in real-time, making constant infant protection and monitoring possible. This type of technology reinforces traditional infant protection procedures to aid in the prevention of potential abductions, baby mix-ups, and infant hospital acquired infections due to mix-ups.
When an infant is born into or otherwise enters a facility, they are immediately fitted with a KinderGUARD transmitter, a monitor made with ultra-sensitive straps that feature cut band technology. The admittance and discharge processes are incredibly simple, as the Secure Care software allows for quick recording, transferring, and updates. The straps are not only incredibly comfortable and breathable for the infant, but if anyone tries to tamper with or remove the transmitter without authorization staff will be alerted immediately.
The KinderGUARD transmitter works as a real time locating system (RTLS), providing constant updates in real-time on where the infant is within the facility. You can customize your infant protection setup to also include the “heartbeat” monitor, which checks the wearer’s heartbeat every 7 to 10 seconds, signaling an instant alert if there is a disruption. This technology is revolutionary in infant protection, because caregiver staff and parents can both rest assured knowing that their infant is constantly being monitored for their vitals and location.
What makes the KinderGUARD transmitters so beneficial for healthcare facilities is that they can be used as described above, but they can also reduce the amount of computer-verification work for staff allowing them to focus on providing the best care possible. The transmitters automatically verify and alert staff when a baby is being transferred to different areas of the hospital, cutting down on the time they must spend logging in and manually verifying and logging their operations. You can also integrate mother-baby matching technology into your infant protection setup using KinderGUARD by giving both the mother and the baby synced transmitters. When the baby is within proximity of the mother, staff will know, and if they enter the wrong room with the wrong baby, they will be instantly notified that the match is incompatible. Mothers know that their child is safe with them, and staff members have reinforced assurance that the right infant is with the right parents, at all times.
Bottom Line
Integrating technology into your infant protection system is essential to having the most optimal setup that provides the best coverage for the children in your care. Choosing an infant protection setup that uses RTLS and other software to provide 24/7, real-time updates, gives caregivers and parents immediate reassurance that their child is safe and accounted for at all times. Advanced systems such as the KinderGUARD provide these benefits and more, including heartbeat detection, mother-baby matching, and tamper alerts – all of which can be monitored and managed via compatible, authorized, and off-site systems such as smart phones or tablets. Choosing an infant protection setup is not a one size fits all process, but incorporating KinderGUARD transmitters into your system is a guaranteed way to boost your coverage.
About Secure Care Products, LLC
For over 35 years, Secure Care Products, LLC has been committed to providing improved safety, security, and locating solutions through best-in-class service and innovative design for your most valuable assets. As the first company in the world to design and manufacture electronic monitoring equipment for wander-prone residents, we empower long-term care and healthcare facilities around the world. Using state-of-the-art, cutting-edge technologies, we keep people and things protected. Let us know how we can help you by calling 1.800.451.7917 or contact us.
