Why Do They Take Baby’s Footprints?

In the early 20th century, the world was teeming with innovation. Fingerprints became extremely useful in the criminal justice system – a foolproof way of verifying someone’s identity. This method was soon introduced into healthcare. Newborns, notorious for their tiny, stubbornly clenched fists, weren’t easy to fingerprint. So nurses improvised and used footprints instead. These were much easier to get. It started a lasting tradition that may have been due to necessity and practicality but ended up providing moms and dads with a beautiful keepsake.

The Journey Begins

The bustling hospital routine swings into action within minutes of your baby’s birth. The umbilical cord is clamped, the Apgar score is assessed, and baby has their first bath. While all this is happening, the hospital staff gently ink those tiny feet, pressing them onto a card to capture those unique ridges and lines. It’s almost like a rite of passage.

The footprints are taken within the first 24 hours when your little one’s feet are still unwrinkled and relaxed. This ensures the footprint impressions are as clear as day, preserving the unique patterns.

The Reason Behind the Imprints

You might wonder why we cling to this ink-and-paper tradition. But there is a practical reason behind it. They are crucial identifiers for your baby, who has not yet been able to provide dental records or fingerprints. These footprints are unique and serve as an unalterable, non-invasive biometric record for your little one. Plus, as an added bonus, they become a beautiful memento for parents.

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The Serious Side

Photo: A baby’s footprint being taken by a nurse for identification. Courtesy of Welcome Gallery via Wikimedia Commons

Nobody likes to even think of ever needing these records for anything more than satisfying the census bureau. But, there are more serious benefits of newborn footprinting. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) can use these footprints for identification, should the unthinkable happen, like when a child goes missing. This really puts the need for this type of identification into context. NCMEC also recommends parents keep an updated record of their child’s physical identifiers – a measure that could prove critical in emergencies.

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The Birth Certificate

Some places add the baby’s footprint to a standard birth certificate, adding a personal touch. While this practice isn’t universal, and footprints are often kept as a separate record, jurisdictions that do it find that it adds something unique with a touch of sentimentality to an otherwise bland legal document. Nothing like adding a touch of humanity to bureaucracy.

Birth certificates may not be the most exciting, but they are crucial legal documents. They hold important details such as your baby’s full name, time and place of birth, sex, and your names as the proud parents. Sometimes they include information, such as the parents’ places of birth and even their occupation. This document sets your child up as a legal human being, a citizen and an official part of society.

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Foot(print) Note – Why do they take baby’s footprints?

Taking a newborn’s footprints, as cute as it is, holds more practical importance than sentimental value. From biometrics to irreplaceable keepsakes and even helping the authorities should the unthinkable happen, these tiny footprints leave a significant impression. Treasure this heartwarming tradition. There’s something beautiful about holding your child’s first footprints in your hands – a tangible memory of their entrance into the world.

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