RaduTyrsina
News Team
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We’ve been hearing about medical professionals successfully integrating the iPad into their activities, whether it means they read charts off it, or browse medical history or show patients the surgery they are going to have in 3D.
But a new program has found a way to use the iPad as a bonding mechanism for new mothers who are not well enough to go see their babies just yet. Most children born prematurely are housed in the NICU until they are strong enough to be moved to the regular baby section. The program, called BabyTime, has been developed by the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and has surveyed mothers who experienced troubled deliveries. 20 to 30 percent of them “did not feel well enough to travel from their bed in the Labor unit to the N​​ICU for the first 24 to 48 hoursâ€. The importance of mother/infant interaction in those first hours is crucial for forming bonds for both mother and child. What’s more, it could even speed up the recovery process.
But thanks to the iPad, mothers can now see their baby and get reports from the caring staff in the NICU just by sitting in their beds. This way the mother can feel secure that her infant is well taken care of.
“BabyTime will help bridge communication with the family and the baby's medical team and is an excellent use of technology to help new mothers bond with their babies, even when they cannot be physically at their babies' bedside.â€
Both mothers and babies will have an iPad connected to their beds and mothers are allowed to use BabyTime twice a day.
Source: TUAW
