The challenge
Some parents have to return home while their babies stay in hospital
Having a baby prematurely can be a stressful time for parents. Many pre-term babies need specialised care in a hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) until they’re healthy and developed enough to return home with their families.
For some parents, the stress compounds when they need to return to their home before their baby does, to care for others or to return to work.
Some parents live too far away to visit the hospital frequently, and the separation can affect their ability to bond with their new child.
Our response
We've developed an app that lets parents access live video of their babies
While videostreaming technology is not new, it is not always secure. Teaming up with The Townsville Hospital in northern Queensland, telemedicine researchers from our Australian e-Health Research Centre have developed and trialled a new private and affordable videostreaming app to support the parents of babies in NICU.
First, a mobile phone is carefully and securely installed in the baby’s cot. Once the app is installed on a parent’s phone, they can securely log in over a 4G connection and watch a live-streamed video of their baby – straight from their cot at the NICU.
The project is a research collaboration between Townsville Hospital and Health Service (THHS), James Cook University and the CSIRO. THHS provided funding via a SERTA grant, and Optus donated 10 mobile phones and data for the trial.
The results
A trial helped parents stay connected with their babies from afar
More than 35 families have taken part in the trial since it began in 2018, and initial feedback from parents and clinicians has been positive.
With the long-term goal of making the tech generally available in NICUs across Australia, our researchers from the AEHRC are currently working with King Edward Memorial Hospital and Perth Children Hospital in Western Australia to establish a similar service for parents.