Mayo Clinic connects families with infants in special care with innovative baby monitors

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) — Newborn infants admitted to the Special Care Nursery can sometimes be there from weeks to months before getting to go home.

That’s why the Mayo Clinic Health System — Mankato campus installed a technology that helps families stay connected, to their littlest members.

Premature babies are often placed into special care nurseries for extra care and monitoring by specialist doctors and nurses.

That’s where the Angel Eye technology comes in.

It’s a camera placed on the side of the baby’s bed that live streams footage to parent’s phones, 24/7.

“Families get enrolled and they can add family members as they want. So, they can have aunts, uncles, grandparents viewing from home. So, whether they don’t live here or are ill at home and they can’t come and visit, they are able to log-in to the app and view their new family member, at any point," said Tiffany Geib, a nurse manager for the Pediatrics and Special Care Nursery department.

The technology has come in handy for families, like Dianna Heinze’s family. Dianna’s baby, Livia, was born 6 weeks early. As she strengthens up in the special care nursery, she’s watched closely by loved ones who can’t be there, like her 7-year-old sister who isn’t allowed in the nursery.

Dianna says Angel Eye brings joy to her as she gets a close up look at her new little sister.

Once parents indicate to the baby’s care team that they are interested in using the optional system, parents will receive an email from the technology provider, asking them to create an account password. Once the password is created, parents can download the app and begin to view their baby, with the option to send invitations for the app to other family members.

Copyright 2020 KEYC. All rights reserved.