Child Abduction

GROUP : 1
Dr. Madhavi K.
Dr. Adi Krishnaiah
Dr. Srikanth
Ms. Radha Rani
Ms. Sunitha Devi
Mr. Avinash Reviewed By :
Ms. Ramya Dr. Lallu Joseph
Ms Keerthi Dr. Saravana Kumar
Ms. Venkata Prasanna Ms. Devasri Chatterjee
 Overview
1. What – Child abduction
2. Why-Intent/purpose
3. Where – Incident happens
4. How to respond
* Code
* Policies
* Procedures
5. Preventive measures
6. Whom to suspect (Typical abductor)
7. Guidelines for health care professionals
 What – Child abduction

• The event an infant/child is abducted from the facility is

called Child abduction.
• 0-13 years of child abduction is called as Code Pink.
 WHY
• To provide an appropriate response in the event an infant is
abducted from the facility.

• Emergency codes are used in hospitals world wide to alert staff

to various emergencies.

• The use of codes intended to convey essential information to the

staff to respond quickly without disturbing the services and
visitors & prevent panic between visitors to hospital.
 Where – Incident happens

Abduction from Health care Facilities

Mother's Room
Nursery
Pediatric hospitals
Others
HOW TO RESPOND
 Codes in SVIMS

• Code Blue - Cardiac Arrest

• Code red - Fire

• Code Pink - Infant/Child Abduction

• Code Yellow - Natural disaster

 Code Pink

Infant / Child Abduction:

o Code Pink is used by many organizations to inform

employees regarding an abduction attempt
(infant/child).
 Code Pink

o Code Pink is used to denote abduction of child within age

group 0-14 yrs.
 POLICY
 All reasonable measures will be taken to prevent the
abduction of a child from the hospital.

 All employees must receive appropriate education and

training relative to their response roles.
Each department must develop individual protocols that
support the organization’s overall Code Purple response.
 PROCEDURES

A
•Safe Guarding Infants

B •Response

C
•Training & Education
 A

• I General Responsibilities
• II Infant Identification
• III Patient Education
• IV Staff Procedures & Education
Safe Guarding • V Physical Security/Infant Security
Infants System.
Contd
 A
• I General responsibilities
• Customized , develop and augment proactive
prevention plans
• Develop written assessment of risk potential
• Annually review the prevention and response
plan’
• Written, critical- incident response plan should
be developed.
Safe Guarding • Ensure proactive interaction with mother.
Infants • Train staff and protecting infants from
abduction.
Contd
• Insist on supervised parental visits
• Establish access – control policy for
paediatric units.
 A
• II INFANT IDENTIFICATION
• a. Establish A process to Identify
infants and parents FOR EG: tag or
band with UHID number
• b. Take a foot print of the baby , colour
photograph of the baby , ensure cord
blood is kept in lab for two weeks,
perform and record full physical
Safe Guarding assessment of the baby.
Infants
• c. Ensure all health care personnel
Contd wear ID badges
 A

• III PATIENT EDUCATION

• a. Patient should be oriented about
child abduction in the health care
facility, home and community
Safe Guarding • b. Methods to respond and report
Infants immediately.
Contd
 A
• IV STAFF PROCEDURES &
EDUCATION
• a. Only authorized staff member
should be allowed to transport the
infant within the facility.
• b. Infant should be always pushed in a
bassinet never should be carried
Safe • c. Caution should be taken to prevent
the identification of sex of the infant to
Guarding the visitors.
Infants • An additional health care provider
should be available in case of
Contd transport when mother is in shower or
attending personal works.
 A

• V PHYSICAL SECURITY/INFANT
SECURITY SYSTEM
• a. Alarms on stairwells, exit doors of
the wards needs to be fixed.
• b. All doors should have self closing
hardware and remain locked
Safe Guarding • c. Installation of security camera
Infants system with recording of at least 30
days with maintenance good quality
Contd
and reliability.
 B

• 1. CODE PINK ALARM

2. CODE PINK ALARM RESPONSE-
Code pink task force. Maternal child
health, patient care staff, security staff,
Response All personnel
• 3. ACTUAL INFANT ABDUCTION-
Incident commander, maternal child
health staff, security
• 4. DEMOBILIZATION & RECOVERY
 B

• 1. CODE PINK ALARM

• a. After confirmation of child
abduction the concerned nurse will
notify facility operator.
• b. The facility operator will
announce “code pink”, provide
Response responding personnel with
appropriate information ( age of
infant, location of abduction)
 B

• II. CODE PINK ALARM RESPONSE

• a. Code pink task force receives
code pink alarm notification via over
head page.
• Task force team leader assigns
Response specific functions for each and
every member of the task force(
members include nurse, security,
engineer, environmental service
personnel)
 B

• . II. CODE PINK ALARM RESPONSE

• B Role of Maternal child care patient
health staff- the staff are assigned to
search each and every corner of the
ward like staff locker room,
examination and equipment rooms,
staff and public rest rooms , waiting
Response and report rooms.
• Communication between nursing
staff, security and others via hand
held radio facilitates transmission of
information and coordination of
response
 B

• II. CODE PINK ALARM RESPONSE

• c. Role of Security staff:
• Immediately and simultaneously
activates search of entire facility
both interior and exterior.
• All gates in and around the ward will
Response be closed,
• Assist nursing staff in establishing
and maintaining security in the unit
• Contact local law enforcement.
 B

• II. CODE PINK ALARM RESPONSE

• d. Role of all personnel's:
• With code pink activation all
personnel immediately stops non
critical works, covers all interior
Response stairwell doors, elevator areas and
doors that exit any where near there
area.
• Watches suspected visitors leaving
or entering the facility.
 B

• III ACTUAL INFANT ABDUCTION-

• a. The incident commander will
activate hospital command centre
as appropriate , calls NCMES and
public information officer.
• b. Role of nursing staff: The parents
of abducted infant are moved to a
Response private room , notifies involved
paediatrician and obstetrician .
• Extra nurse is assigned to take care
of mother.
• Secure all records and charts of
mother and infant.
 B
• III ACTUAL INFANT ABDUCTION
• Hold the infants cord blood or blood sample
results.
• Designate a room for the other family
members to wait .
• Contacts social services personnel to help in
need.
• The situation should be explained to all
mothers in the unit.
• A liaison officer(MSW,PRO) is assigned to
Response liaison the issue between the parents and
facility.
• Hold a group discussion session with all the
personnel affected by the abduction.
• Infant abduction form should be documented
with details of description of infant,
kidnapper or any other persons with
kidnapper.
 B

• III ACTUAL INFANT ABDUCTION

• Role of security: immediately calls the local
police department to enforce law
• Notifies new born nurseries, post partum ,
Response paediatric unit, outpatient clinics and
emergency rooms with description of baby
and suspected abductor.
 B

• 4. DEMOBILIZATION & RECOVERY

• When code pink incident had been
resolved, the facility operator
announces “Code pink, all clear” three
Response times.
• Employees are instructed to return to
their work.
 C

• Staff members & Members of code

pink task force
• Should be educated with
• 1. Infant security videos
• 2. Review of all policies and
procedures
• 3. Review of regulatory standards.
Training & Education • 4. Review of case studies
• 5.Verbal or written test.
• 6. Periodic mock drills should be
conducted.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
• Separate security check in and check out measures
to be done for males and females

• Security grill doors to be installed if the staircase is

present next to the ward.
 Whom to suspect (Typical
abductor)
The offender:

• Is almost always a female.

• Appears, in overweight general, to suggest pregnancy.

• Ranges in age from 12 to 55 but, in general, is in her early 20s;

usually has no prior criminal record.

• Although the crime may be precipitated by impulse and

opportunity, the abductor usually have careful plans for finding
another person’s infant to take and call her own.
 Suspicious Behaviors:

• Be aware of any suspicious behavior!

o A person taking a gym bag

o Movement from within a bag that someone is carrying

o Anyone running or trying to sneak out a back exit.

 Suspicious Behaviors contd…

• If you see any of the following, please alert security and

the nursing staff immediately:

o Repeated visiting, just to see an infant or child

o Questions about hospital routines, procedures, floor

layout, such as, “ When is feeding time?” or “ Where are
the stairs?’
 Suspicious Behaviors contd…

o Babies who are being physically carried on the unit

o Persons who carry large packages, duffel bags, off patient

care areas

o Abductors are known to search out targeted rooms: Mothers

room, rooms that are out of view from the nurse’s station,
playrooms, and those close to stairwells, fire exits &
elevators.
 Suspicious Behaviors Contd…

• Please be aware of these areas on the unit where you are working.

• Abductors have also been known to create a diversion in another

area of the hospital to facilitate an infant/child abduction.

• When there are times of high activity or confusion, that is the time
to be most observant in the monitoring of infants and children.

• Most abductors carry the infants out in their arms!

 Guidelines for health care professionals

• Be alert to unusual behavior:

Health care security, nursing and risk management administrators should remind all
personnel the protection of infants is a proactive responsibility for everyone in the facility,
not just for security.

o Our Communication to potential abductor is to use phrases such as:

“May I help you?”

“Whom are you here to visit?”

• Make eye contact.

• Observe the person’s behaviour.

• Note a physical description.

• Notify security resources, if necessary.

• Follow-up as is appropriate for the situation

• In this process facilities should consider having in place
protocols to Teach staff how to effectively approach a
suspected abductor.

• Limit visitors to those who are able to provide the mother’s

full name.

• Photograph all maternity unit visitors.

• Teach staff how to ask each mother, not the visitor, about
her visitors to avoid staff incorrectly assuming a visitor is
someone well-known to that mother.

• Be aware disturbances, such as a fire in a closet near the

nursery or loud threatening argument in the waiting area,
may be used to create a diversion to facilitate an infant
abduction.
• It is our responsibility, our duty, to take reasonable care of
our smallest patients/visitors and prevent any harm.

• Everyone working in these secure areas must be cautious

and alert at all times.

• By knowing a few basic principles we can help keep our

hospital safe and secure.
CHILD ABDUCTION ALERT NUMBER

SVIMS -2302
 STORK
S : Search the unit for Infant/child secure the scene

T : Telephone notification calling the emergency number allotted, and give the important

information

O : Obtain pertinent information and protect the potential crime scene until safety and

security manager arrives

R : Report and Re assign the mother/family to a different room for security purposes

K : Keep all staff and visitors on the unit until police arrives

* Police authorities will release staff and visitors at their discretion.

Thank you