title: Reducing the risk of baby falls in maternity units.
abstract: During a 12-month period there were 17 baby falls on the maternity wards at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust; two of the babies who fell were injured. By collecting information about the baby falls and how they happened, we were able to compile a guideline for both preventing and managing baby falls. This formed part of the trust's patient safety programme. We then piloted and implemented risk-prevention strategies for baby falls. These involved a risk assessment to identify women needing closer observation and the installation of bedside cots. These strategies brought about a marked reduction of baby falls and are now being established across all the maternity units across the trust.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Janiszewski
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D004739:England; D006757:Hospital Units; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010865:Pilot Projects; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior