Thanks to the innovative NICVIEW Web Camera, parents of infants in the Baptist Women’s Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can now view their baby anytime they choose through a secure online portal. The cameras were made possible thanks to a Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation grant.
There are 40 cameras in the 40-bed NICU (5 are portable, for use with pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients). Teresa Bentley, NICU nurse manager, says the cameras give parents greater peace of mind.
“At first I thought they would be most used by out-of-town families, but in-town parents are equally appreciative,” she said. “Many families have to work or have other children…now they can pull up the live feed of their baby on their computer or smartphone and see them anytime they like.”
Teresa said parents still visit as often as they can; NICVIEW simply lets them see their baby in between visits, which is important as some babies are in the NICU for up to four months.
In addition, parents may share their password and login with whomever they choose. Families as far away as the Philippines have logged in to view their grandchild.
“Nurses can position the cameras for the best view of the baby and can even send notes to the parents from the baby, such as ‘I ate well today’ or ‘I love you.’ That can really make a difference to a mom who is probably tired and emotional after leaving her baby in the NICU.”
