New Moms Use IPads to Bond with Babies at Cedars-Sinai Hospital

By Jeana Lee Tahnk

Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles just recently announced a new program for its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that will use iPads to help their new moms bond with recently delivered babies.

Called 'BabyTime,' this program will allow non-ambulatory moms who have either had c-sections or complications from their labor and deliveries to see their babies on the iPad screen and talk to them over secure wireless connections within the hospital.

Plus: The New Science of Mother-Baby Bonding

According to the hospital's press release announcing the new initiative, Charles F. Simmons Jr., MD, chair of the Department of Pediatrics calls it a communication bridge that will help moms bond even if they can't be physically present. He adds, "When doctors and nurses are treating a newborn in the NICU, mom can be right there asking questions and getting updates, even if she's on a different floor."

After a baby is admitted to the NICU, they will set up an iPad next to the incubator and an iPad is also given to the new mom who can check in on her baby twice a day using BabyTime.

Plus: 12 Ways to Bond with Your Baby

New mom Rachel Little was one of the early adopters of the program after he C-section and is quoted as saying, "Even though I couldn't hold her, she stopped crying when she heard me talk to her…While it's not the same as being able to hold your baby, it was almost as good."

The need for moms to bond with their babies physically and emotionally after delivery is undeniable. What do you think of the new BabyTime program to help achieve it?

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