Last Updated: Monday, 26 September 2005, 18:15 GMT 19:15 UK

Cooing at new-born babies banned

A West Yorkshire hospital has banned visitors from cooing at new-born
babies over fears their human rights are being breached and to reduce
infection.

A statement from Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax said staff had
held an advice session to highlight the need for respect and dignity
for patients.

On one ward there is a doll featuring the message: "What makes you
think I want to be looked at?"

But Labour MP Linda Riordan said the measures were "bureaucracy gone
mad".

She told the Halifax Courier: "All mothers want people to admire their
babies because all babies are beautiful.

"But in a case where a mother did not want to answer questions it
should be up to that individual to say so."

Some new mothers have already said they are astonished by the rules
which stop people asking questions about their babies or looking at
them in maternity wards.

Debbie Lawson, neo-natal manager at the hospital's special care baby
unit, said: "Cooing should be a thing of the past because these are
little people with the same rights as you or me. 

[...]

Source: BBC - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/4284522.stm


Cheers, Steve..

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