Scary stuff!

Over the weekend, every mother's worst nightmare occurred in Lubbock. A three-day-old baby was taken from the hospital by someone wearing scrubs and claiming to be a nurse. She apparently walked into the mother's room around 1:30 a.m., told her the baby, who was jaundiced, needed to be taken to the nursery for some tests, and walked out of the hospital with the baby IN HER PURSE.

Fortunately, the story has a happy ending. The baby was found in a hospital in Clovis, NM, and they have a suspect in custody. But can you even imagine? The Lubbock hospital claims to have a "good and sophisticated security system", but that clearly was not enough to deter someone determined enough to smuggle a baby out in her purse.

So for all you expectant parents out there, PLEASE pay attention to whatever information you are given regarding your hospital's security policy. I know when Anna was born, the nurses were required to wear a certain kind of badge, and they stressed to every mother that they were NEVER to give their baby to anyone not wearing that badge. On the rare occasion they took Anna to the nursery, they also checked both our wristbands to make sure they matched, and no one was ever to be seen walking down the hall with baby in arms -- all transferring from nursery to room was done in the wheeled bassinet, and anyone holding a baby in the hallway was instantly questioned. At the hospital where I will deliver this baby, they NEVER remove the baby from the room -- all testing, treatment, bathing, etc. is done in the mother's room. They also have an electronic security system that somehow involves the baby's wrist band and some alarms, but I don't know the details on that yet. You can bet I will be asking about it when we take our hospital tour!

But even with all the new security that most hospitals have, it still happens occasionally. Very scary.