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Hospitals around the country have been upgrading their neonatal intensive care units to include personal webcams for each tiny patient. It鈥檚 a convenience for parents 鈥� and reduces worries about visitors bringing in germs.

The neonatal intensive care unit at St. Thomas Midtown in Nashville is the latest hospital to join the webcam wave, among facilities around the country from聽迟辞听聽that are installing cameras over each infant.

At St. Thomas, Sherri Anderson has 20 years of experience as a neonatal nurse, watching parents run themselves ragged trying to be at the hospital every waking hour, sometimes commuting long distances.

鈥淭he parents go through a lot 鈥� emotionally, spiritually, physically,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very taxing, and sometimes they just need to go home and just recover.鈥�

The $1,200 cameras 鈥� which St. Thomas paid for through a special fundraiser 鈥� come from a company called Natus Medical. They provide a close-up shot that anyone in the world can log on to see 鈥� using a password.

Jill Brothers had twin boys born at 27 weeks, requiring a two-month stay in the NICU. Her husband,聽, was away for spring training most of that time, but he could get on the computer and watch the boys鈥� progress.

鈥淭his has been a crucial element to just being a part and feeling like you鈥檙e involved with their growth,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 lots of other people in the family that have been able to log on and see the boys and see them [in] real time, which is great.鈥�

Brothers still came to the hospital every day, but she found herself checking the web stream when she was up in the middle of the night聽鈥� to watch the boys breathing.

鈥淚 really just felt like it was safe and comfortable,鈥� she said.

Parents鈥� peace of mind is only one aim, though. St. Thomas NICU nursing director Donna Darnell said the new cameras could cut down on germs sneaking into the unit from other relatives stopping by.

鈥淭here are times throughout the year that we worry about a lot of visitors. Flu season is the best example,鈥� Darnell said.

Even during normal times, access for family and friends is highly restricted because of germs 鈥� and the cameras give many more people the opportunity to see the tiny patients.

While baby Duke Brothers stayed in the NICU, his parents could watch over him via webcam.(Blake Farmer/WPLN)

In the little research that has been done, parents have loved the video access. Doctors also are OK with it, but聽in the聽American Journal of Perinatology聽found that some nurses have misgivings about being watched all day and all night.

One of the study鈥檚 authors, Dr. Gene Dempsey from the University College Cork in Ireland, helped conduct the survey and said nurses worry they will get even more after-hours calls, wanting an explanation for what鈥檚 on screen. But, he said, that doesn鈥檛 seem to happen.

鈥淚n fact some of the workers [in hospitals with these cameras] suggested that the interaction at parent level 鈥� in terms of phone calls in the evening and at nighttime 鈥� are less when the system is in place,鈥� he said.

Dempsey鈥檚 own hospital is launching a webcam system in the next few weeks and he has made a point of getting nurses on board.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e probably going to do, and we鈥檝e had much discussion with the nursing staff initially, is that this would be a phased-in process,鈥� he said.

Dempsey said they鈥檒l start with 鈥渧irtual visitation hours.鈥� At St. Thomas, the nursing director decided to turn off the livestreams whenever a nurse is working with a child 鈥� a compromise that seems to have everyone smiling for the camera.

This story is part of a partnership that includes , and Kaiser Health News.

麻豆女优 Health News鈥� coverage of children鈥檚 health care issues is supported in part by the .