Posted on 09/27/2005 5:07:54 PM PDT by wagglebee
A hospital has banned visitors from "cooing" over newborn babies to protect their dignity and parents' right to confidentiality.
People have been told they should resist the temptation to touch or be too familiar with the new arrivals. They are also being warned to respect patient confidentiality by not talking to staff or parents about babies.
Cards have been issued to visitors at Calderdale Royal Hospital, Halifax, West Yorks, bearing the words "Respect My Baby" on the front. On the back are the lines written as though from the baby: "I am small and precious so treat me with privacy and respect. My parents ask you to treat my personal space with consideration. I deserve to be left undisturbed and protected against unwanted public view."
The measures were introduced as a result of a Government booklet, Essence of Care, that explains extra protection for patients
But the hospital's interpretation has prompted criticism from mothers.
Lynsey Pearson, 26, from Halifax, who gave birth to her first child, Hannah, four weeks ago, said: "This ludicrous idea is taking confidentiality to the extreme. If people did not ask me about my baby I would be offended. I am so proud of Hannah and I want to show her off. I imagine all new mums feel that way."
Debbie Lawson, the neo-natal manager at the special care baby unit, said: "We know people have good intentions but we need to respect the child.
"Cooing should be a thing of the past because these are little people with the same rights as you or me."
This is quite possible the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life!
Ya think they're going to pass legislation to respect unborn babies? /sarcasm
What the heck! What a bunch of nutcases!
oy
If God had not intended for tiny little baby things to be looked at and cooed over, He would not have made them so disarmingly cute.
Crazy people everywhere.
Great point!
Dignity of babies, but only after they are born ping.
I don't get this. Random people are walking around the hospital touching or otherwise messing with the babies? Where are the mothers? Where are the nurses?
In all the hospitals where I've had babies (5 different ones), babies were either in the nursery, where only staff or mothers were allowed, or in the mothers' rooms, where only staff and invited guests/family were allowed.
And not even all the staff were allowed around the babies. On one occasion, my husband and I were sitting in a lounge with our baby, and a nurse came looking for me to take my blood pressure. She was looking wistfully at the baby, so I asked if she would like to hold him. She said, "Thanks! I'm not allowed to touch a baby without the parents' permission, because I'm employed by an agency, not by the hospital."
It's England...
They also just announced that belief in God causes an increase
in robbery, rape, and murder....
Dear Debbie,
You have nobody to coo over you? Poor baby.
Cooing is a civilizing behavior, welcoming a new person into the family of humans. Feigning indifference to a baby is tantamount to contempt and creates fear in the baby. Babies who are ignored by casual acquaintences become apprehensive and suffer from digestive and emotional sickness.
By all means, people. COO YOUR HEARTS OUT.
Every baby I've ever been around likes "cooing."
BOOB HEADS. Absolute BOOB HEADS. Silly A__ BOOB HEADS!!!
Zieg Heil! Bump.
bABIES ARE IN THE NURSERY OR IN THE ROOM WITH THEIR MOM AND DAD AND FAMILY AND FRIENS. Where is this hospital they talk of anyway?
bABIES ARE IN THE NURSERY OR IN THE ROOM WITH THEIR MOM AND DAD AND FAMILY AND FRIENS. Where is this hospital they talk of anyway?
God almighty.
I read things like this and I'm sure I am hallucinating.
Unbelievable!
oh hell no!!
True. However, people do have germs. There's "cooing" from a healthy distance, and then there's touching or breathing in their faces.
It's the reasoning that's so weird in this story. I can understand their having a policy that visitors should stay a few feet away from babies other than the one they're visiting, to protect the babies from infection. (Although I still don't get how all these people are around the babies in the first place ...)
It sounds like the administrator is just a goofball.
I don't think there is much light at the end of this tunnel.
Stupid hurts.
Well, I don't want strangers touching or being over familiar with my babies so I have no problem with this.
I have seen some amazingly stupid and cruel behavior on the part of old ladies at baby showers, like passing the baby around, checking it's privates, all the while the baby is screeching for the first time mommy and she doesn't have the spunk to rescue her newborn from the blue haired committee.
And in a hospital environment, d'ya really want unknown persons cooing their germy breath in your newborn's face, or poking their finger into them?
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