Baby Chat

At Children’s Hospital Colorado, we know what a stressful and overwhelming time it can be when a baby is born prematurely or with serious medical problems and must be in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

When babies are in our NICU, parents, siblings and extended family can’t always be with them as often as they would like. That’s why we created Baby Chat, a unique program that connects families with their babies in the NICU.

What is Baby Chat?

Children’s Colorado’s Baby Chat is a program that uses secure, medical quality cameras and iPads to keep babies in the NICU connected with their families throughout their stay. Parents and approved visitors connect to these in-house telehealth tools using their own personal computer, tablet or smartphone.

While connected, families can talk to their baby and watch the neonatal team care for the baby. Whether mom is connecting from another room or a grandparent is checking in from another state, Baby Chat provides a channel that allows communication and bonding with baby to continue.

Children’s Colorado is one of only a handful of hospitals to implement this new way of communication between parents and babies.

Your baby knows your voice

Research shows that babies can hear soft voices while in the womb. Hearing familiar voices after birth strengthens the bond between parents and their child because:

• All new babies need bonding activities to help them develop and regulate their emotions.
• Hearing familiar voices can help lower your baby’s stress hormone levels and have a positive effect on their heart rate and breathing patterns.
• Reading or talking to your baby is beneficial to their language development at any age.

How does Baby Chat at Children’s Colorado work?

Baby Chat uses secure, medical quality cameras and iPads to connect babies in the NICU with their families outside of the NICU. It’s easy to use and set up through your care provider, who will help get each session arranged through the following steps:

• Parents who want to connect with their baby in the NICU will need a personal computer, tablet or smartphone. Children’s Colorado will provide the iPads in the NICU.
• Parents will receive an email with instructions for Baby Chat, including how to download the free Vidyo app for parents using a smartphone or tablet.
• Just before the session begins, an email will be sent with a link to the Baby Chat session. Simply enter your name and click “Join.”
• Once the session starts, a Children’s Colorado NICU nurse will place the tablet on a special holder on your baby’s bassinette so you can see them. Parents can also talk with the NICU staff through Baby Chat while they care for their child.

Is Baby Chat secure?

Baby Chat uses secure cameras and iPads to connect babies in the NICU with their families.

Baby Chat at Children’s Colorado is secure, and only the baby’s parents decide who can see their baby. The video is encrypted, and the communication is designed to protect you and your baby’s privacy.

The iPad is cleaned with germicidal wipes, and its memory erased and returned to staff in the NICU following each Baby Chat session.

For more information, please contact:
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) 
Phone: 720-777-6857; Fax: 720-777-7207
Email: telehealth@childrenscolorado.org