NICU Babies - Security Bracelets

[syhuggins17]

In my Level IV NICU we only put security bracelets on babies that are in cots or cribs - NOT babies is isolettes or warmers or low birth weight babies.

What are you doing in other facilities?

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Anyone over 1250 grams get one unless they are intubated/critical, have a PIV or PICC in their leg or have had skin breakdown from the tag. The only other exception are the big chronic babies unless there is a flight risk.

[tinkerbell419]

All babies on our unit have an identity bracelet. Usually one is placed on a limb and the other is displayed on the cot or isolette (incubator). This is for when we need to check patients number when giving medication and to verify identity.

We also use electronic tags so every baby has a little tag on their ankle or leg. This links to a tagging computer system so we know where that baby is. Babies in incubators or isolettes dont have a tag but will have one when transferred into an open crib/cot.

[katierobin23]

Our babies get a security tag when they go to a crib. Exceptions are if they have a running IV or are on oxygen support.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

Those alarm tags are for general nursery kids only. Our kids are hooked up to monitors, if someone took off with a kid, the monitor would go off pretty quickly. Besides being in a locked unit. Besides so many of the kids are hooked up to IVs, feeding pumps.

Just saying, it's the concept of the car thief taking the unlocked car without one of those steering wheel locks. The other kids are easier targets, and not as scary looking if we being honest.

There have been a few times we were concerned about a parent that might take their own child, we placed a security bracelet on them.

The profile of the person that abducts infants from hospitals include people who want to quickly grab an infant then pass it off as their own. Almost all of our kids would raise HUGE questions if they were presented to the general public.

Having said all that, I can see it coming to our unit soon. Just a sign of the times.

[NICURN29]

We put them on babies in cribs who are off respiratory support and IVs. If they are in an isolette or are attached to something, they don't get one. I work in a 23-bed level III NICU.