CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION Senate Resolution No. 48Introduced by Senator LimnAugust 16, 2021 Relative to Newborn Falls Awareness Week. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSR 48, as introduced, Limn. Digest KeyBill TextWHEREAS, A 2010 Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety estimates that 600 to 1,600 newborn falls take place per year in the United States; andWHEREAS, Reports of newborn falls in hospitals have increased by over 600 percent in the last decade; andWHEREAS, Studies have repeatedly drawn attention to the increased risk and incidence of newborn falls as a result of mothers being responsible for care while they themselves are recovering from anesthesia and giving birth; andWHEREAS, Newborn falls in the hospital remain underrecognized and underreported by health care professionals and caregivers; andWHEREAS, Newborn falls occur due to a multitude of factors that impact a childs safety and a parents ability to provide care; andWHEREAS, Over one-half of parents deliver their newborns without a spouse by their side; andWHEREAS, In a survey between 2015 to 2017, inclusive, the American Academy of Pediatrics found that infant falls identified through the hospital adverse reporting system were associated with postpartum fatigue and with common efforts to promote breast feeding, including rooming-in practices; andWHEREAS, The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing reports that newborns are at an increased risk of falling when left with their mothers because of unstable ambulation or increased drowsiness from medication; andWHEREAS, Insurance companies no longer reimburse hospitals for in-hospital patient falls because these incidents are preventable; andWHEREAS, Hospitals are not required to implement policies for preventing newborn falls, making newborns the only instance where a patient is expected to provide care to another patient; andWHEREAS, Newborn falls result not only in severe harm and risk of death to the newborn, but cause mental and emotional trauma to recovering parents, caretakers, and hospitals; and WHEREAS, Facilities should implement and utilize a standardized risk assessment for falls upon admission, in addition to a tracking system that will monitor the occurrence of newborn falls; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate hereby proclaims the third week of September as Newborn Falls Awareness Week in order to increase awareness and action about newborn falls and drops; and be it furtherResolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for distribution.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION Senate Resolution No. 48Introduced by Senator LimnAugust 16, 2021 Relative to Newborn Falls Awareness Week. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSR 48, as introduced, Limn. Digest Key
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Resolution
No. 48
Introduced by Senator LimnAugust 16, 2021
Introduced by Senator Limn
August 16, 2021
Relative to Newborn Falls Awareness Week.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SR 48, as introduced, Limn.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
WHEREAS, A 2010 Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety estimates that 600 to 1,600 newborn falls take place per year in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Reports of newborn falls in hospitals have increased by over 600 percent in the last decade; and
WHEREAS, Studies have repeatedly drawn attention to the increased risk and incidence of newborn falls as a result of mothers being responsible for care while they themselves are recovering from anesthesia and giving birth; and
WHEREAS, Newborn falls in the hospital remain underrecognized and underreported by health care professionals and caregivers; and
WHEREAS, Newborn falls occur due to a multitude of factors that impact a childs safety and a parents ability to provide care; and
WHEREAS, Over one-half of parents deliver their newborns without a spouse by their side; and
WHEREAS, In a survey between 2015 to 2017, inclusive, the American Academy of Pediatrics found that infant falls identified through the hospital adverse reporting system were associated with postpartum fatigue and with common efforts to promote breast feeding, including rooming-in practices; and
WHEREAS, The American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing reports that newborns are at an increased risk of falling when left with their mothers because of unstable ambulation or increased drowsiness from medication; and
WHEREAS, Insurance companies no longer reimburse hospitals for in-hospital patient falls because these incidents are preventable; and
WHEREAS, Hospitals are not required to implement policies for preventing newborn falls, making newborns the only instance where a patient is expected to provide care to another patient; and
WHEREAS, Newborn falls result not only in severe harm and risk of death to the newborn, but cause mental and emotional trauma to recovering parents, caretakers, and hospitals; and
WHEREAS, Facilities should implement and utilize a standardized risk assessment for falls upon admission, in addition to a tracking system that will monitor the occurrence of newborn falls; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate hereby proclaims the third week of September as Newborn Falls Awareness Week in order to increase awareness and action about newborn falls and drops; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for distribution.