Baby Abduction Thwarted
Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Fort Hood was locked down on Monday after an attempted newborn abduction from a mother’s room. Technology did its job, however, the infant abduction warning alarm went off and the baby was recovered.
The would-be abductor, reportedly a woman dressed in hospital garb, got away. The AP report requests that anyone with information should contact the Fort Hood CID (Criminal Investigation Department) Office at 254-287-2722 the Fort Hood Military Police at 254-287-4001 or email Hood.CID.SAC.RA@conus.army.mil.
The Good News
This story had a happy ending, with the baby returned to their mother. There are measures every new parent can take that will make your baby less of a target for abduction. The best thing a mother can do is trust her instincts. If a hospital visitor or even supposed staff member seems “not quite right,” do not leave your baby alone with that person.
IN THE HOSPITAL
Check the Child ID Bracelet. Minutes after your baby is born, hospital staff should outfit you, Daddy and baby with matching ID bracelets. Check the numbers right away to make sure they match and make sure the bracelets are affixed firmly around baby’s wrist and ankle.
Send Daddy in with the initial check-up. Very shortly after your baby is born, the doctors will whisk him away to be cleaned, weighed, measured and evaluated. You may be a little bit out of it at this time, but Daddy should follow the doctor with the baby into the other room. If the check-up is done right in the delivery room, that’s even better.
Room-in. Having your baby room in with you provides the best protection against hospital abductions – it also makes it a lot easier to stick to that “every 2 hour” feeding schedule of a nursing mother. Obviously, never leave your baby alone (or with someone you don’t know) in the room, not even so you can go to the bathroom.
Check ID badges of hospital personnel. Before anyone takes your baby back to the nursery for any reason, check their ID badge. Remember, though, ID badges and hospital garb is very easy to forge. Rely on your instincts. If something doesn’t “feel right” about a staff member, insist (politely) on accompanying them wherever they’re going. Most staff shouldn’t have a problem with this. If they do, consider that a red flag. Buzz the nurse’s station.
Never let baby out of sight.
You know your baby will be safe if you go everywhere they go. Again, you don’t have to sound accusatory or paranoid. Merely offer casually: “Oh, great, you’re bringing her to the nursery to see the doctor? I’ll come with you.”
Visiting hours. Visiting hour is a great time to get a few minutes away from your baby to shower, eat or just relax. Only leave the baby with very close friends or relatives. Take a few minutes to educate them on safety procedures and not letting any hospital staff take the baby without your approval.
AT HOME
As improved safety measures and security technology has reduced the number of hospital abductions, the number of newborn abductions from home has increased slightly. How can you best protect your baby at home? A lot of it is simply common sense: don’t leave your baby with someone you don’t know extremely well. Demand I.D. from anybody visiting your home in an “official” capacity – if their I.D. seems suspicious, refuse to let them enter your home. Be aware, too, if a casual acquaintance suddenly starts acting like your best friend after the baby is born – especially if you haven’t known them long.
Nix the lawn signs. Those cute little wooden storks on your front lawn announcing “It’s a girl”? They’re practically welcome signs for child abductors. Keep the celebratory balloons and signs indoors.
Watch your garbage. Similarly, putting boxes out at the curb with pictures of car seats, cribs and high chairs is an advertisement there’s a baby on the way. Drop these off at the recycling plant yourself or discard them over the course of a few weeks, broken down and sandwiched in between plain cardboard boxes. Better yet, keep the boxes. Babies go through gear quickly, and you’ll then have the products in their original boxes for sale, donation or for the next baby.
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Dan says...
This actually happened in my home townof Sudbury and the abductor actually left the hospital and ended up in Kirkland lake.
They found her and the baby. Baby was returned to parents safely.