Neonatal and Pediatric Medicine
Open Access

Abstract

Newborns experience in-hospital falls at rate of approximately 1.6/10,000 live births, resulting in 600-1600 falls per year in the United States before the last decade, the topic of in-hospital newborn fall/drop was virtually nonexistent in the literature. Although in-hospital adult falls have long been a focus of research and intervention, there has been no tracking of data on the prevalence of falls among newborns and no published protocols specifically to prevent falls among newborns until recently. The birth of a baby can be one of the most joyous experiences for families. Dropping a baby after falling asleep or caring for an infant when an accidental injury occurs can be an emotional and life-changing experience for families, especially if serious injury occurs. Literature now shows that healthcare facilities can make a difference in newborn events by incorporating prevention methods such as family awareness, staff monitoring and education for both staff and families. Upon completion of this presentation, participants should be able to identify inherent factors during hospitalization that increase the risk of a newborn fall/drop and potential interventions to prevent newborn falls.

Biography

Sino George is a board-certified Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. She began her career in health care by working as Nurse Midwife. She has presented at local, national and international levels on quality improvements and research. Her research work has been published in a peer reviewed nursing journal.
Email:sino.george@emoryhealthcare.org