Carthage Hospital Implements “Cuddles” Infant Protection System

Carthage Area Hospital’s Maternity Ward has recently implemented a new Cuddles infant protection system provided and installed by Special Care Systems, as a way to bring added support and comfort to parents. The system combines patented tags and bracelets with advanced technology to prevent abductions, while ensuring the general safety and security of infants.

“The system is easy-to-use and the hardware and software work seamlessly, enabling nurses to spend less time managing a “system” and more time focusing on what matters most—caring for their little patients,” said Brian Gray, Senior Sales Engineer of Special Care Systems.

The Cuddles infant protection system manufactured by Accutech uses Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID, to monitor infant activity on the maternity ward. Infants are fitted with a small, comfortable skin sensing bracelet around the ankle or wrist that sends a signal to multiple locations on the unit if the child is removed from the area, spends too much time near a secure door, or if the band is removed or cut. The signal sounds an alarm and the ward will immediately respond with a lockdown until the infant is located. Only nursing personnel can remove or deactivate the bracelets.

“It adds another measure of comfort and confidence for parents. We’ve also added an extra layer of security that provides mom and baby matching capabilities. Each tag is uniquely identifiable to match mom and baby. We wanted to improve the old system with state of the art technology,” said Susan Kennedy, OB Nurse Manager.