“Angel Eye” camera making a difference for NICU parents

WAUWATOSA, Wis. (CBS 58) – A new camera in the neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin is making a difference for parents.

The camera allows families to watch their baby through a live video feed whenever they want.

“I delivered in Fond du Lac and he was Flight for Life here [Wauwatosa],” Jillian Rodriguez said. “I was actually in Fond du Lac for about two, three days while he was here.”

Rodriguez had an emergency cesarean section at 27 weeks and didn’t get to meet her son Neeson after he was born. But thanks to the Angel Eye camera, she saw him hours later from miles away.

“He was born at 4 p.m. and by midnight I was signed into the Angel Eye so I could see him,” she said.

The Angel Eye camera provides a live video feed that allows anyone with the login and password to watch. Right now, 31 of the 75 NICU rooms at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin have the camera.

“There’s so many changes that technology is helping us take better care of our babies and this is something that is allowing us to take better care of our families,” Neonatologist Dr. Karey Ehlert said.

The Rodriguez family makes trips from Fond du Lac to see their son but can’t be with him 24/7.

“We prop him up on our phone around the family table or if we’re out to eat we’ll put the camera on our phones so we can see him,” Rodriguez said.

For the family, the camera brings comfort to a difficult situation

“”It’s nice to be able to call the hospital and see how things are going but it’s a lot more of a relief to see that he’s doing well,” Rodriguez said.

With funding, the hospital hopes to eventually install the camera in all 75 NICU rooms.