Having a new life come into the world is a joyous occasion and it is right that this event be heralded and appreciated. However, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that a small number of infant abductions have been linked to birth announcements in local papers. Also, in April 1999, the Joint Commission recommended hospitals discourage parents from publishing their newborns names in the paper.

  Listings of newborns in the paper is typically a voluntary act by the mother, and hospitals have facilitated this by getting information from mothers and requiring that a release be signed before providing any information to the newspaper. However, more and more hospitals across the country are moving toward keeping such information private. 

  To protect our patients' privacy and safety, Baptist does not submit birth announcements to area newspapers. Protecting our patients is a top priority at Baptist, and we encourage you to follow the tips below to safeguard yourself and your new baby. If you have any questions, please ask your health care provider.

• Do not provide your home address or other unique, identifying information for birth announcements. This gives anyone information they can use to find you and your baby after being discharged from the hospital.
• Consider the risk you may be taking when permitting your baby's birth announcement to be published in the newspaper. Memphis hospitals recommend sending personal announcements to individual family members and friends so you know exactly who is getting the information about your baby. 
• If you want to place a birth announcement on the Internet or a Web site, make sure it is password-protected, and give the password out only to people you trust.
• While in the hospital, make sure you properly verify hospital identification before giving your baby to anyone. (Hospital workers always wear photo ID badges.)
• Before choosing where you will give birth, ask about the hospital's infant security system.
• When you leave the hospital, take home for your records at least one color photograph of your infant (full, front face view), and compile a written description of your infant, including hair and eye color, length, weight, date of birth and specific physical attributes.
• Avoid using outdoor decorations to announce your baby's arrival; they tip off strangers to the presence of a new baby.
• Allow people into your home only if they are well-known by the mother. Avoid allowing anyone into your home who is just an acquaintance, especially if you met briefly since you became pregnant or gave birth to your baby.

*These tips are based on recommendations of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Joint Commission and the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act.