Parents can now track their hospitalized premature newborn via a home computer

Parents and family members of premature and low birthweight babies can now view pictures of their hospitalized children and learn about their babies' health without being at the bedside.

This enhanced relationship is made possible by a secure Internet Web browser called Baby CareLink®. The breakthrough technology links parents and family members with infants hospitalized in the Special Care Nurseries within University of Iowa Children's Hospital at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Baby CareLink enables parents and loved ones with home computers to view digital photographs of their children, see updated daily reports that include their children's most recent weight, access a personalized knowledge database for high-risk newborn care, and provide feedback and ask questions about the care of their children.

Edward Bell, M.D., professor of pediatrics and director of the University of Iowa Division of Neonatology, said Baby CareLink is an important step forward in the care of the more than 600 babies treated each year in the Special Care Nurseries.

"In addition to providing peace of mind for parents, Baby CareLink allows them to learn how to take care of their children following discharge from the hospital," he said.

The Special Care Nurseries include the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Intermediate Care Nursery. Both nurseries care for high-risk newborns.

Stephanie Stewart, R.N., nurse manager in the NICU, said parents can use various multimedia resources as learning tools that best meet their learning style and can do so at times when they can cope and internalize the information being presented to them.

"Parents ask better questions during their babies' stay and they are better educated to take care of their babies when they leave University of Iowa Children's Hospital," she said. "Unnecessary emergency room visits and readmissions to the hospital after discharge may be reduced substantially."

Information is also available following the discharge of infants, allowing families to continue learning about the complexities of caring for the high-risk baby in their homes.

Michael Kienzle, M.D., associate director of technology and new business development at UI Hospitals and Clinics, said a randomized trial of Baby CareLink at a leading Harvard University affiliated hospital that demonstrated Baby CareLink facilitates earlier discharges--on average two days sooner. Parental satisfaction was on average 10 percent higher for a variety of key indicators such as quality of care, family participation in care, family and infant support, environment and visitation policy, family information and education following implementation of Baby CareLink.

Baby CareLink provides clinicians and parents with innovative Internet capabilities to permit parents of low birth weight and medically complex newborns to become more active participants in their baby's care. Through the use of the web, parents can view digital photos of their children in the neonatal intensive care unit and educate themselves using text, audio/video-streaming technology, and interactive web based learning.

Baby CareLink can be viewed online in the left navigation bar at www.uihealthcare.com/children.

Baby CareLink® allows Darwin and Jenessa Burton,m along with sons Zach, 2, and Alex 4, to view photos of their premature daughter, Madelyn, from their home in Davenport, Iowa