Cambridge, Ont. hospital using tiny trackers to keep tabs on newborns

How could a band help protect babies in Cambridge? CTV’s Ashley Bacon takes a look at the new safety measure.

Babies born at a hospital in Cambridge, Ont. will now get their own tracking monitor.

The devices, which are placed around the wrists or ankles, will set off an alarm and force a lockdown if they are taken out of the maternity ward.

Julianna De Medeiros, who delivered her son Dominic seven weeks ago, welcomed the extra level of security at Cambridge Memorial Hospital.

“It’s a nice peace of mind, knowing that this is tracking him at all times,” she said. “If something were to happen, we know exactly where he is.”

The Hugs monitor is real-time tracking system designed specially for the newest and most vulnerable patients.

“It allows them to safely be within the unit but will activate an alarm and lockdown the unit in the event that there is an attempt to go outside of the unit, or if the bands are being tampered with,” explained Melissa Sockett, the hospital’s emergency department program manager.

Staff and parents have praised the program.

“Within the first week of going live, we had multiple parents that, when we would apply the tags to their babies, they felt reassured and comforted,” said charge nurse Sheri Green. “It’s beneficial for parents in the pediatric [department] that are going down to Tim Hortons to grab a coffee and come back up, knowing that their baby is safe and secure.”

Little Dominic did not seem to mind wearing his Hugs tracker.

“It’s actually quite comfortable for him. You don’t even know it’s there. It’s not too tight, it’s not cutting off circulation or anything like that,” De Medeiros said. “Knowing that he’s safe, he’s secure. We know where he is. The nurses know where he is, the hospital knows where he is. It’s just nice.”