Technolgy Connects Families 24 Hours a Day to Newborns in ICU

Parents who must be separated from their newborns requiring intensive care at Brenner Children's Hospital can rest a little easier, thanks to new technology. The hospital recently installed a webcam system in its Neonatal unit.  

Dr. Cherrie Welch, the medical director of Brenner's nurseries at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, said Brenner is the first hospital in the Carolina's to employ the NicView system.

“The Nicview cameras are basically a webcam system that parents can log into securely and see their baby in real time, with real time footage. They can see their baby sleeping or eating or having a bath, and they can log in anytime they want. Parents can give the password to other family members including grandparents and out-of-state relatives for instance. It's been a great way for our parents to be able to bond with their babies when they can't be in the hospital,” said Welch.

The video feed does not have audio and is not recorded. There is no charge for the service.  Dr. Welch says the web cam system makes life a little easier for families during a difficult time.

“Parents decide to go back to work and save their maternity leave for when the baby comes home.  And then other families have difficulty with transportation, so they're not able to be in the nursery as much as they would like to. Every situation is a little bit different and I think the cameras are a way for us to accommodate those differences in families,” Welch added.

The technology was funded by a donation from a local resident and has already served at least 40 families with infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the hospital.

*Kalyn Sisco is an intern at WFDD and a junior at Appalachian State University.