NJ hospital’s NICU gets bedside cameras for parents

Every hospital in New Jersey that has a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit needs to find a way to do what Inspira Medical Center in Vineland is doing. They are in the process of setting up bedside cameras linked to the Internet so parents can see their babies whenever they want.

This isn’t some helicopter parent, overprivileged thing. Having a baby in NICU because of premature birth or other medical issues is a painful and unplanned heartache for moms and dads.

When you must leave the hospital and go home without your baby and sometimes leave them at the hospital for months, it’s a tough thing to endure.

My son Cooper, now 7, had to spend part of his first night in NICU due to erratic breathing issues and I had only the smallest sampling of what it feels like to not be able to have your child with you. As I recall the time you were allowed to visit him in the NICU was limited to minutes. I cannot imagine days, weeks, or months of that.

There are 16 beds in Inspira’s NICU and every one of them will soon have a bedside camera for parents to check in on them. It’s called AngelEye Technology and should be ready to go in September. Robert Buono Sr., a Vineland businessman, helped with the purchase of the system with a $100,000 donation. His late wife was a labor and delivery nurse and he made the donation in her honor.

“It's our hope that, by incorporating this technology, we support the physical health of the infants in our care and nourish the family bonds that are so crucial during these early stages of life," Inspira Health President Amy Mansue commented on the project.

They’re not the first hospital doing this. An article on childrenshospital.org extolled the virtue of this program in an interview with a mom who benefited from one. Hopefully, more hospitals will find a way to do this soon.

UP NEXT: THIS PET IS CAUSING SALMONELLA SICKNESS IN STATES CLOSE TO NJ

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

Report a correction 👈