AUSTIN — A new camera system at Dell Children's Medical Center is bringing smiles, and peace of mind to parents.
“We’re really connecting families with their infants, and allowing that experience to move forward and get everyone involved in the joy of that new child,” said Director of Critical Care services Lisa Earp.
Crews installed 30 tiny cameras in hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit -- or NICU -- last week.
The cameras allow parents, grandparents and relatives to view their little one on a live video feed at all times of the day or night.
Yazmen Tuskan's baby, Leo, has been in the NICU for more than two months.
“For me, I feel like before the camera was here, you know, we’d always be in a state of rush to go see him, only because, you know, like everything is fine, there was no rhyme or reason but we just hadn’t seen him, so we were like always rushing. So now that we have the camera, I feel like there’s a sense of calm, you know, we’re able to bond with him, connect with him, and it’s not just us, his extended family too,” said Tuskan.
She said family in Illinois, Indiana and even Malaysia are all watching the little one grow.
“Just having this camera, they’re able to like see him, they’re able to watch him grow, watch him thrive, and they’re able to bond with him, and bond with one another, and I think all that creates such a loving environment, you know, so whenever he gets discharged he’s coming to, we’ve all had the same opportunities to see him thrive in the NICU unit,” said Tuskan.
For her, the camera makes her feel involved and empowered during a very uncertain time of life.
"Just log on, it's like 24/7, it's real time, it's anytime, anywhere, and you you could sometimes be awake at two in the morning and I'm thinking of him, and I just reach out for my phone and I’m able to check him out, and able to see he's being cared for, it's like such a great reassurance,” said Tuskan.
Earp told KVUE that babies can sometimes be in their care for months, and the cameras allow parents and families to connect with their little ones, even if they can't be with them.
"I'm ecstatic, this is an opportunity for us to really let those moms, dads and extended family members have that opportunity to view their kids, feel comfortable, feel safe, we want to calm their fears and help them know that they're doing the best we can for their children, and this makes it feel like we're able to do that,” said Earp.
The hospital only gives the live video link to parents with a protected password. Then, parents can share the link if they want. The cameras don't record video and there isn't sound