No parent imagines having to leave the hospital without their newborn. For those parents who have to keep their little ones in the neonatal intensive care unit at CHOC at Mission Hospital (CCMH) for treatment, however, there is now special technology to ensure families can be together and bond with their newborns when they can’t be at the bedside.
CCMH is proud to be the first children’s hospital in California to offer the new NICVIEW webcam system. The system allows families to see real-time, live video of their infant remotely, from anywhere they can log on to the Internet.
“This takes family-centered care to a higher level,” said Liz Drake, clinical nurse specialist in the NICU at CCMH, where the system went live on Aug. 21.
Katie and Andrew Hock of Ladera Ranch were among the first parents to benefit from the NICVIEW webcam system. Their daughter, Madeline, spent time in the NICU at CCMH to be treated for respiratory problems after she was born on Aug. 16. The couple logged on to the webcam right away using their iPhones, and were able to look at their baby when they weren’t at the hospital.
“The camera gave me a sense of security, which is nice. I could see if she was still sleeping and her IV was still in,” said Katie, who along with her husband shared the password for their daughter’s video feed with their parents and siblings, including Katie’s sister who lives in Hawaii.
“The grandparents were addicted to seeing her all hours of the day,” Katie, a first-time mom, said with a laugh.
The NICVIEW webcam is easy to use with any major Internet browser. The information and video are secure, and only the baby’s family can allow other users to access the live video.
Users can view the baby at any time except when the baby is receiving nursing or medical care, or having a procedure. A webcam is mounted at every bedside in the NICU and families can opt in or out at any time, so use of the camera is up to them.
In addition to the bonding benefits of the NICVIEW webcam, there are also health benefits for the new parents and their newborn.
“If you can decrease the anxiety of a parent, you can reduce the overall stress of a hospitalization,” Drake said.
“Another benefit is for nursing mothers. It’s best for a mom to pump breast milk in front of her baby or a picture of her baby as this can help the mom produce more milk. When our moms are at home or can’t be here, this can help them pump with their babies in view. We’re creating a connection where they didn’t have one before,” Drake explained.
She added that the webcams are wonderful tools for military parents who are deployed overseas, and for out-of-state grandparents who can’t visit. It helps siblings at home who want to see their new baby brother or sister. They’re also great for moms who are visiting Orange County, and happen to give birth early or unexpectedly, and have family in another city or state who can’t visit.
Further, the webcams will help families bond with newborns in the NICU during flu season, when only the babies’ parents are allowed in the NICU for health safety reasons, Drake said.
“It’s wonderful. It’s amazing how far we’ve come with technology,” Katie said.
To learn more about the NICU at CHOC at Mission Hospital, please visit http://www.choc.org/ccmh/.
