How To Prevent A Newborn Mix-Up
by Lynne Adkins
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Identification mistakes in newborns happen every day in Pennsylvania.
Everyday there are an average of two mistakes across the Commonwealth involving the ID of newborns and that can lead to labeling errors, giving a baby to the wrong mother, or even giving the newborn a different mother's breast milk.
Susan Wallace, patient safety analyst with the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority says there are several causes.
"You're relying on the healthcare-giver, making sure they're giving the right care to the right patient. Also most of the newborns, if they're being taken care of in the same time-frame, all have identical birth dates or similar birth dates, and if you look at newborns, they look alike," she said.
She urges parents to be vigilant about ID-bands and to speak up about any questions they may have.
"Make sure your baby has the right identification band with your baby after birth. And with hospitals, instead of naming the baby: baby boy or baby girl, that you use the mother's first name in the identification," said Wallace.
She says fortunately most errors were discovered in time, and no babies were injured.
