Premier health institution The Medical City has implemented an infant security system that prevents the abduction or mixing up of newborn babies in the hospital.

Dubbed “Hugs and Kisses,” TMC is the first hospital in the Philippines to implement this at the Maternal and Child unit. The system became operational in September 2012.

The Hugs and Kisses Infant Security System delivers an unprecedented level of security against infant abduction and mismatch. Within seconds after birth, a soft yet durable, tamper proof mechanical tag called the hugs tag, is strapped around the baby’s ankle. The matching bracelet, the kisses tag, is attached to the mother. A soft lullaby plays when the mother and baby are correctly matched. The tags are designed to assist the hospital staff in matching infants with their mothers after brief periods of separation.

Every time the mother and baby are brought together, an audible signal from the infant’s tag immediately confirms the match or mismatch even if there are other infants in the room.

All exits from the unit are electronically monitored to detect the tags. The tag sends out a heartbeat signal every 10 seconds. If these messages are not seen by the system for a certain time, an alarm rings automatically.

Bringing an infant near an open exit triggers an alarm in the software identifying the infant’s exact location, which can be seen in the security cameras. An alarm will also sound if an infant is moved to an unauthorized zone or if the hugs tag is removed, detached, cut or tampered with.

TMC management assures that the Hugs and Kisses system will provide an extra layer of protection that would help parents feel more secure at the hospital.