Infant Journal
for neonatal and paediatric healthcare professionals

University Hospital of Wales uses video technology to send special Mother's Day messages

Parents with babies on the NICU at the University Hospital of Wales are now able to keep in touch with their little ones when they are away from their baby's bedside thanks to vCreate video messaging, which has recently been implemented on the unit. It is the first unit in Wales to use this kind of service.

vCreate is a secure video messaging service that lets unit staff record and send secure video updates to parents when they are unable to be by their child's side, helping minimise the separation anxiety felt by parents.

Staff record short video updates about the baby for their parents to watch when they are away from the unit. These are recorded on any device with a camera, such as a mobile phone or tablet, and stored securely on the vCreate platform.

New mum Nina Bucur received a vCreate video from her little boy Eric on Mother's Day, She says: "Eric was born on 18 February weighing 900g at a gestation of 24 weeks and three days. It was wonderful to receive a message from Eric on Mother's Day, the staff made a real effort to make my first Mother's Day very special."

Mary Glover, Lead Nurse for Acute Child Health at the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales, says: "Many parents have other children and responsibilities, so being with their baby all the time is impossible. It's been so rewarding for us to use technology to keep that bond going when it's not possible for the whole family to be together."