Babies can have video visits at Cork University Maternity Hospital

File photo from the Neonatal Unit at CUMH.

Parents can ‘visit’ their babies at Cork University Maternity Hospital — despite the strict Covid-19 emergency measures.

This is thanks to University College Cork’s INFANT Research Centre staff who have come up with a way to let parents remotely check their children.

Since the crisis started, restrictions have been gradually put in place restricting access to parents. Previously, both parents of premature or ill babies were able to visit and video and photograph their newborns being treated at the hospital.

Now, thanks to an INFANT initiative, nursing staff take the pictures and shoot the videos for the parents and upload them onto online file parents can easily access.

Cork University Maternity Hospital and the Ireland South Women & Infants Directorate worked with INFANT to introduce a secure video messaging platform in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Professor Gene Dempsey, consultant neonatologist at CUMH and principal investigator at INFANT, UCC: “This is a fantastic initiative which we hope will go some way to reducing the significant stress that parents are now facing.

Whether it’s for a day or two admission, or indeed many months for our most immature babies, we believe this system, along with its educational material, will alleviate some of the worries that families face in these difficult times.

With passwords, this platform can be accessed at any time, from any device and is available at no cost to the parents. Parents can easily create an account that is linked directly to their baby, allowing them to download videos to share with siblings, grandparents and other family members.

One of the parents using it is Nicola Carey, 37, whose son Oscar was born five weeks ago. His due date was April 14, and he is being cared for at CUMH’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Although she can visit, his father Trevor, 37, can’t — due to the Covid-19 restrictions. So the couple, from Aghabullogue, near Coachford, use the facility: “It is great, as his Dad can see the progress as if he is making on a daily basis. It is great to see him in the morning before I visit. It has been amazing for the anxious grandparents to see him and know he is doing well. It has been brilliant for us.”