Don't look at that baby is has rights
Discussion
My god what is this country coming to.
"A West Yorkshire hospital has banned visitors from cooing at new-born babies over fears their human rights are being breached and to reduce infection.
A statement from Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax said staff had held an advice session to highlight the need for respect and dignity for patients.
On one ward there is a doll featuring the message: "What makes you think I want to be looked at?"
But Labour MP Linda Riordan said the measures were "bureaucracy gone mad".
Cooing should be a thing of the past because these are little people
Debbie Lawson, neo-natal manager
She said: "All mothers want people to admire their babies because all babies are beautiful.
"But in a case where a mother did not want to answer questions it should be up to that individual to say so."
Some new mothers have already said they are astonished by the rules which stop people asking questions about their babies or looking at them in maternity wards.
This bit gets me so wound up :-Debbie Lawson, neo-natal manager at the hospital's special care baby unit, said: "Cooing should be a thing of the past because these are little people with the same rights as you or me.
'Infection control'
"We often get visitors wandering over to peer into cots but people sometimes touch or talk about the baby like they would if they were examining tins in a supermarket and that should not happen."
A spokeswoman for Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust said the advice was as much to do with reducing infection as it was upholding "rights".
In a statement she said: "Staff were wishing to highlight issues of potential confidentiality, especially for young babies and their parents in what can be emotional times.
"Infection control was also a key part of the message as the unit deals with very small babies with very vulnerable immune systems."
From here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/4284522.stm
>> Edited by pesty on Tuesday 27th September 00:23
I'm utterly speechless. That woman is a fool in so many ways my mind quails at the thought of contemplating their number.
The saddest thing of all is that this woman has made that statement and has not been fired on the spot for clearly being a moron unfit to work with toilets, let alone children.
Just imagine the things we don't hear about...
The saddest thing of all is that this woman has made that statement and has not been fired on the spot for clearly being a moron unfit to work with toilets, let alone children.
Just imagine the things we don't hear about...
I didn't know unrelated people could actually come into contact with the baby. I thought they were all in a big room and people could come by and see through a big viewing window, but not actually allowed to go in there.
Anyway, contagion and risk of baby thieves: good reasons for keeping just anybody away from newborns. "Human rights"? Pah. The kids can't even see that well when they're first out, as they have to learn to focus. They don't know they're being made fun of.
And why would you go by a hospital just to look at babies, if you weren't related to the baby somehow? Anyone who does that is probably a wierdo.
Maybe Lois has some answers.
Anyway, contagion and risk of baby thieves: good reasons for keeping just anybody away from newborns. "Human rights"? Pah. The kids can't even see that well when they're first out, as they have to learn to focus. They don't know they're being made fun of.
And why would you go by a hospital just to look at babies, if you weren't related to the baby somehow? Anyone who does that is probably a wierdo. Maybe Lois has some answers.
That's quite an interesting premise. TBH, I'm surprised that in the UK you can wander around coming into close contact with other peoples babies. I can't say I would have been too thrilled if people I didn't know were watching baby bor without a good reason. In fact, it's creeping me out just thinking about it.
Presumably risk of infection is the main reason, but someone has managed to latch onto "the political correctness gorn maaaad" angle.
Presumably risk of infection is the main reason, but someone has managed to latch onto "the political correctness gorn maaaad" angle.
Exactly. A non-issue I'd have thought. Typical example of the rise in legislation / rules for their own sake or (worse) for PC-nonsense point scoring.
As with most things, if the natural reaction of adults is to coo over babies, there's probably a developmental reason for it buried deep down, in the same way that adults unconsciously "talk" to babies in high-pitched baby-voices because that's what the infants can actually hear...
As with most things, if the natural reaction of adults is to coo over babies, there's probably a developmental reason for it buried deep down, in the same way that adults unconsciously "talk" to babies in high-pitched baby-voices because that's what the infants can actually hear...
t. Get the welfare round there to remove the childen.
Well, it amazes me - they talk about rights of a child and use excuses such as security and infection control....
Shame it didnt stop a large maternity hospital in England loosing my son, failing to tag him correctly and allowing unsupervised trainee nurses from transferring him to a different part of the hospital with no authorisation....
Lets get the fundamental stuff sorted first before we start going on about the PC crap.... bloody morons...
Shame it didnt stop a large maternity hospital in England loosing my son, failing to tag him correctly and allowing unsupervised trainee nurses from transferring him to a different part of the hospital with no authorisation....
Lets get the fundamental stuff sorted first before we start going on about the PC crap.... bloody morons...
seafarer said:
I didn't know unrelated people could actually come into contact with the baby. I thought they were all in a big room and people could come by and see through a big viewing window, but not actually allowed to go in there.
Anyway, contagion and risk of baby thieves: good reasons for keeping just anybody away from newborns. "Human rights"? Pah. The kids can't even see that well when they're first out, as they have to learn to focus. They don't know they're being made fun of.
Maybe Lois has some answers.
Well for starters I don't know of any wards where babies are kept in a nursery with big glass windows. They now keep the babies with the mum's at all times, called "rooming in".
Don't quite get what the point is though. It's up to the mum's if they want people visiting their baby. However, there are big problems with cross infection, especially with MRSA etc. As health professionals we always wash our hands before and after handling a baby, but 99% of visitors dont, despite asking them to do so.
As far as the whole "rights" malarky goes, babies don't have the wordly intellect to make their own decisions, and many babies respond in a positive way to people and voices.
I'm not quite understanding what's been banned. Are no visitors allowed at all (in which case it's sad for the mum and immediate family) or is actual "cooing" not allowed (which is plain silly!).
stupid woman said:
Debbie Lawson, neo-natal manager at the hospital's special care baby unit, said: "Cooing should be a thing of the past because these are little people with the same rights as you or me.
I blame her bosses,when people make such outlandish and stupid quotes as she has its time they were put out to graze as her mental state has obviously gone past its sell by date.
Having just recently had a baby (OK, my wife did play a part) I would rather visitors be allowed to see and handle the baby and a lot of the doctors NOT.
I spent a couple of days in the special care unit and only people who didn't wash their hands were the DOCTORS. They would walk into the ward from wherever, past the washing facilities and start their rounds. The nurses seemed better but there were instances where they forgot.
Given that the doctors and nurses are the most likely carriers of MRSA etc, shouldn't they be setting the example. Maybe they are immunised against it?
Perhaps the maternity wards could start doing something about stopping families having 7-15 people around one bed and employing cleaners that can speak, understand and read English.
I spent a couple of days in the special care unit and only people who didn't wash their hands were the DOCTORS. They would walk into the ward from wherever, past the washing facilities and start their rounds. The nurses seemed better but there were instances where they forgot.
Given that the doctors and nurses are the most likely carriers of MRSA etc, shouldn't they be setting the example. Maybe they are immunised against it?
Perhaps the maternity wards could start doing something about stopping families having 7-15 people around one bed and employing cleaners that can speak, understand and read English.
But don't hospitals lock the doors of postnatal units now? You can't get in unless you have a bona fide reason to be there, i.e. you're the father of a newborn or a relative of the new parents. Anyone visiting at a postnatal unit will have newborns of their own to coo over, why should they be interested in cooing over anyone else's?
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