Google Glass may help mothers monitor newborns

Boston: Researchers are testing whether Google Glass can help ease anxiety of parents temporarily separated from their newborns. A new study at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston will test whether the technology of Google Glass, a hands-free, wearable computer device, can help foster the precious bond between a mother and her child.

Hundreds of babies are separated from their mothers after birth each year because one or both of them need immediate care, The Boston Globe reported. Stephanie Shine, a nurse at the hospital, wants those mothers to see their newborns through the eyes of their partners: They will wear Google Glass while visiting the intensive care unit, and the images they see will stream live to a tablet computer in the mom's hands. 

"I want to take this super-high-tech device and capture what could be thought of as one of the strongest and basic human connections there is," said Shine. Researchers are seeking 250 mothers to place in one of three study groups: One group will use Google Glass, another will use iPads to video-chat, and the third, a control group, will not use technology.

Shine believes the use of Glass and iPads could help reduce maternal stress. "For mothers who cannot touch and feel their babies right away, technology can help bridge the gap," said Dr Terrie Inder, chairwoman of newborn medicine at the Brigham.