Radboudumc: new high-tech IC for newborn babies

In the old NICU, babies were kept together in incubators in one room. Parents who want to be with their child also use this space. In the new ones IC for newborn babies there is more privacy for patients and parents. Employees also have a quieter working environment and there are fewer medical risks, partly due to the use of the latest monitoring technology and a lower infection risk.

Babies born prematurely have to spend some time in an incubator. This can vary from a few days to several weeks. In the past, an incubator didn’t do much more than it warm loving a premature baby. Today they are high-tech nursing units with all possible facilities that monitor and support the development of a premature baby. The new IC of Radboud UMC is the superlative in this regard.

Babywatch camera, digital door signs and smart surveillance monitors on IC

In order to provide nurses with information about the patient at all times, smart technologies are used in the new rooms that provide insight into the patient’s situation. Special care telephones communicate with monitoring equipment connected to a patient’s monitor. In the event of an alarm signal, the nurse is immediately alerted. The curves of the surveillance monitors can also be seen directly via screens outside the rooms. And each room has a digital door sign at the entrance with, among other things, information about the patient. Parents can also monitor their baby remotely via a babywatch camera.

More privacy and less incentives for babies and parents

But it is not only the smart technology that makes these new rooms special. Especially the fact that every baby has its own room makes a world of difference. It means less stimuli and less noise and less chance of infections. There is also much more privacy for parents and child, which benefits the development of the child and family. All rooms have natural light and are separated from the hallway by large windows. A detail here is that for privacy, for example when breastfeeding, the windows can be blinded at the touch of a button.

Step further on the road to high-quality care campus

With the opening of the NICU, the Radboudumc and the Amalia children’s hospital are another step further in the renovation and new construction of the hospital. Radboudumc is implementing the construction plans for the campus with the aim of creating a compact campus that promotes collaboration between education, research and the hospital, improves efficiency and makes future adjustments possible. This creates a high-quality healthcare campus that contributes to the development of sustainable, innovative and affordable healthcare now and in the future.

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