We've all seen them on aging birth certificates or in baby books from the attic. Tiny little inky footprints from the birth date of some member of the family, or maybe from our own. For decades ink and paper were the "technology" used to register a baby's footprints shortly after being born. Now, digital technology is advancing and improving upon the practice right here in Michigan's Great Southwest.
Lakeland Health recently became the first health system in Michigan, and the only one in the region, to install an Infant Safety System developed by CertaScan Technologies. The new technology allows staff at the BirthPlace in both St. Joseph and Niles to digitally scan a newborn's footprint and capture a high resolution image which can be used for precise identification in situations like an abduction, the case of a lost baby, or a natural disaster.
Prior to the implementation of the CertaScan system, footprints were taken the old fashioned way, using an ink and paper method, which could occasionally result in smudged or inconsistent impressions that needed to be re-done. With this new technology, entirely safe for use on babies, the digital footprints and security photo are stored efficiently in the newborn's electronic medical record. Much like finger prints, foot prints are a biometric and unique to each baby, so they can be used for identification throughout a lifetime.
Nurse Tammy Jerz is Manager of the BirthPlace at Lakeland Hospital in Niles. She says, "The prospect of losing a child is terrifying, especially to new parents and CertaScan allows us to provide another layer of safety for new mothers and infants." She adds, "Parents are also presented with a keepsake certificate containing the baby's footprints and have the option to download a digital copy to share with family and friends."
