Well, I’m all for it. This innovative idea will certainly offer some peace of mind to mothers who worry that someone will steal their newborn or that there will be a mix up in the hospital. These are real possibilities. I remember years ago when one of my darling nephews, Jean-Pierre was born someone tried switching him with her own baby. Luckily for my sister, he was wearing a very unique shirt that he had received from his grandparents. Likewise, there have been numerous stories of babies being stolen in hospitals or from their cribs at home so I’m definitely supportive of such a device.

A hospital in Norway has announced that they will be attaching anti-theft devices to all babies born in the institution to prevent kidnappings or possible mix-up of babies. According to Erik Normann, head of Akershus University Hospital, the main reason for the device is to ‘emphasize security’.

The system would have two chips, one for the mom and one for the baby. The baby’s chip would be attached to the ankle at birth – which is nothing new since a clip is already attached indicating mom’s name, time of birth etc. – this would just be making the process more secure. The second chip would be attached to a bracelet worn by the new mother. In practice, as soon as the baby is separated from the mother by a preset distance or if someone tries to remove the bracelet from the baby, an alarm goes off. If this happens all elevators in the hospital will automatically stop and doors will also automatically lock, preventing anyone from leaving.

The system should come into force by October 1 after receiving the hospital board’s approval.