The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children caution parents against giving away 'seemingly" harmless information to the public about their new baby. Safety Squad encourages parents to take the same precautions with their new baby that they take to protect their own identity. It is estimated that between 1983 - 2008, 256 infant abductions occured in the US (0-6 months of age). Although the rate is far from epidemic, the impact is always devastating. Good parenting includes safeguarding your baby's identity through the following measures:
Before you leave the hospital, be sure one of the pictures you take with your digital camera includes a full, front-face view. Have a complete written description of your infant including hair and eye color, length, weight, and specific physical characteristics.
Do not let anyone into your home who claims to be affiliated with the hospital you delivered at, your pediatrician, or state government agencies. Free services are often too good to be true and the "state" does not offer any such free services to the majority of new parents. Furthermore, if you are one of the few parents entitled to this type of service, you would have been told about it and provided with written instructions from your healthcare team. Never let anyone into your home you do not know - nurses, lab technicians, photographers, social workers, or the cable TV guy...
Consider your risk when publishing birth announcements in the newspapers, creating websites for family, or using outdoor "new baby' lawn decorations. Birth announcements should never include the family's home address and should be limited to the parents' surnames. Never honor a stranger's request to take a picture of your infant. Outdoor ornaments call attention to the presence of a new infant in the home and could potentially make you the victim of an opportunistic crime. If creating photo websites, besides limiting access to family, be careful that captions don't give away too much information ("the cutest baby in the Saddlewood development").
When going out in public with your infant, never let someone you don't know pick up or hold your infant. There have been cases in which initial contact with an abductor was made in settings such as shopping malls or bus stations.
Reserve the celebration of your child's birth for those who are part of the baby's life. Ask Grandma and Grandpa to pay for your lactation consultant or house keeper instead of purchasing lawn ornaments. Visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which offers valuable resources for parents of children of all ages. Call 1-800-the-lost or visit www.missingkids.com.
We didn't think it was a good idea to put up a yard sign or anything, but.... Has there actually ever been a documented case of a baby kidnapped because of a yard sign? As far as risks go you're probably more likely to be struck by lightening than to have your yard sign lead to a kidnapping. And if someone can drive by and see your yard sign, they can also drive by and see you nine months pregnant or hauling around the baby bucket. Perhaps we should hide in bunkers until our children turn 18 just in case.
Posted by: Indie | July 07, 2009 at 08:54 AM