renth

Cooing at new-born babies banned

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/w...re/4284522.stm

<Copyright material Removed>

Vash the Stampede

And to think that some people on this forum have the gall to call Australia a "nanny state"!

cranni

oh my god what is the world coming to, some people sit at their desks and think , oh what can we ban today, very boring people who need to get a life. They must have been desperate that day. denise mum of 6 and proud of it,
coooooooooooo

jad n rich

Last time my son was in hosp here in OZ, august 2004 we were asked to keep visitors to a minimum, but preferably discourage them entirely even other siblings, and there was a checklist on the door for symptoms/ people who should not enter, basically the same as above but it sounds more dramatic due to the wording dont coo at a baby.

MIL's melbourne private hospital requested no flowers or pot plants due to germs and again keep visitors to a minimum or discourage entirely although in her case that was easy.

No doubt both countries are just trying to minimise infection, both countries have big problems with super bugs. Of course the press has to get hold of common sense and turn it into somethng that will sell a paper

arkon

Your right! Over here they would let you coo so long as you filled out all the right forms, ticked the right boxes and had your 100 points.

TheCrone

Social engineering gone mad!

renth

We've had road rage, trolley rage now "maternity ward rage"

"Are you looking at my newborn?"

fugly

id love someone to coooeeee

unfortunatly its that fugly.....theyd wanna smack it

infections are least of me problems

tracey.d

I work on a neonatal unit and we have had the same rules for as long as I have worked there. The rules are there for a reason but I still hate having to say to people "I'm sorry but we do ask that you dont look at the other babies!" .

However, you wouldn't walk up to a lady in a say, surgical ward and say "whats wrong with you then?" or "How much do you weigh?". I always try to explain to visitors that yes, it is human nature for people to want to go and look at the babies but I for one would be freaked out if I walked onto the unit to see total strangers stood over my babies incubator/cot!!!!

Some of these babies are really sick and do not need the extra risk of infection from strangers. Not to mention the confidentiality issues. We have many rules such as strictly 2 to a cot, no under 16s unless the babies siblings, all jewellery, watches and outdoor coats to be removed. I have to say that our infection rates are quite low, this would be a direct link to these rules. I agree that it does sound like beauracracy gone mad but we only do it to protect the babies. We do not prevent the babies parents from telling other families about their babies and everything that is wrong with them and they often do, but it is their choice to make, not ours....

We are very understanding of the needs of the baby and family. ie, parents and grandparents are welcome any time night or day and it isnt unusual to get a visit from a worried mum at 3 in the morning. We encourage and assist in parents getting even the smallest babies out for cuddles etc. all in all the unit works very well and we get many cards etc expressing the parents/families gratitude for the work we do. Thats what makes it all worthwhile

Really I'm just trying to say give us lot a chance, we are only doing whats best for those in our care


Tracey

cybie

I think they should worry more about the increasing MRSA risk than what other visitors bring in.

tracey.d

Do visitors not carry the MRSA bug then????

renth

I can understand the infection control angle, but if you read the article they are talking about protecting the baby's "human rights".

"On one ward there is a doll featuring the message: 'What makes you think I want to be looked at?' "

Now that's crazy, I don't care what anyone says.

bridiej

err, yes!

jad n rich

Dont visit a australian hospital then 60 minutes found MRSA on about 70% of drink vending machines, phones, door handles, lift buttons

Grayling

It's usually the visitors that bring the MRSA in

G