Infant Abduction from Healthcare Facilities: Prevalence, Explanation, and Risk Mitigation

Hospitals and healthcare facilities employ a combination of technology and staff training to mitigate external threats to patient safety and well-being. One of these threats is infant abduction—a rare but salient concern for hospital staff charged with the protection of vulnerable patients. Though only 140 such events have occurred in the U.S. over the past six decades, there remains a need for vigilance and the implementation of security protocols that are effective but not unduly burdensome on patients and families. Moreover, while hospitals presently use a wide range of processes and techniques to help prevent infant abductions, these facilities must frequently revisit these procedures and consider implementing new and innovative technologies to update their risk-mitigation measures and crisis response plans. Abduction simulations can help hospitals identify vulnerabilities, particularly those that are unknown to staff and can be exploited through the manipulation of human factors. This report provides a summary of (1) the literature on the prevalence and characteristics of infant abductions from healthcare facilities, (2) the theory and research from criminology on the factors associated with infant abduction, and (3) some best practices proposed by experts to help inform healthcare professionals, patients, and policymakers in Texas and nationwide.