Hospital technology allows parents to check in on premature babies

By Lori Brown

Technology is now allowing parents of premature babies to see them at anytime from anywhere.

A little boy named Amaris turns 2 months old on Sunday, but he only weighs 2 pounds and 5 ounces.

Amaris seems big to his mom, since he was only 1 pound and 3 ounces when he was born -- just a little bigger than a 16-ounce bottle of soda.

He was born May 24, but his due date is not until Sept. 16.

“When he was first born, I wasn't able to hold him or hear him cry,” said Amaris’ mother, Ashley McGill.

While McGill would like to be able to touch her baby every minute, she also has a 5-year-old, so that just is not possible.

That's where video cameras come in.

Amaris was one of the first babies at Baylor University Medical Center Dallas to get one of 35 new cameras.

They are connected to the internet, so each baby's family can always check in on them through “NIC View.”

Babies are in the NICU at Baylor anywhere from a few days to a few months.

McGill, who is a registered nurse, is on maternity leave now, but she may have to return to work before Amaris is released.

“He's a mighty giant,” said McGill. “He's a fighter. He may be tiny, but he's a fighter."

Amaris’ family is from Tyler in east Texas. While his mom is able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House, his dad is having to stay in Tyler to work, so he also really appreciates the web camera.