Houston father becomes first in Texas to use wearable incubator to hold premature baby
HOUSTON, Texas - A Houston father made history as the first dad in Texas to hold his premature baby skin-to-skin using a new wearable incubator called a "Skincubator," hospital officials said.
Dad Able to Hold Premature Baby Using Groundbreaking 'Skincubator'
A Houston dad made history when he became the first father in Texas to hold his premature baby skin-to-skin using a groundbreaking wearable incubator called a ‘Skincubator,’ according to hospital officials.
Dorian Ojemen’s wife, Tiffany, an obstetrician and gynecologist, gave birth to their twins, Silas and Simone, at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital on Aug. 7, at 26 weeks.
The new parents could only touch the twins through the openings of their NICU incubators for almost two weeks before hospital staff introduced the Skincubator.
The wearable device allows critically fragile newborns to experience skin-to-skin contact while staying connected to essential medical equipment.
Overcoming fears in the NICU
Holding such small infants can be intimidating for new parents, but the device helped ease those concerns.
"I was just very nervous because they’re very small and I was scared to do skin-to-skin because I just didn’t know how vulnerable they would be," Dorian Ojemen said.
"So when I heard there’s an easy way to have them close to me, I was, like, excited about the opportunity."
Bonding and health benefits
Video shows the parents holding the tiny twins to their chests using the devices.
Tiffany Ojemen said holding the babies skin-to-skin helps regulate their heartbeats, helps them relax, and reinforces the bond between the parents and their newborns.
The Source: Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.