美国国家公共电台 NPR Cameras On Preemies Let In Families, Keep Germs Out

 

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Hospitals around this country have been upgrading neonatal intensive care units to include personal webcams for each tiny patient. But Blake Farmer of member station WPLN in Nashville reports the video streams are for much more than just comforting parents.

BLAKE FARMER, BYLINE¹: After 20 years as a neonatal ICU nurse, Sherri Anderson has seen parents run themselves ragged² trying to be there every day for their preemie.

SHERRI ANDERSON: The parents go through a lot emotionally, spiritually, physically³. And it's very taxing, and sometimes they just need to go home and just recover.

FARMER: Because it can be a long road. When babies are born prematurely⁴, they can spend weeks or even months in the NICU, and Mom and Dad want to be there to comfort their little one.

(SOUNDBITE OF BABIES CRYING)

FARMER: Call it the webcam wave, and it's made its way to Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville. A camera over each covered crib provides a close-up view that anyone in the world can log on to see with a password. Jill Brothers had twin boys at 27 weeks and spent two months at the hospital. Meanwhile, her husband was working in Florida and able to see them.

JILL BROTHERS: This has been a crucial element to, you know, just being a part and feeling like you're involved with their growth.

FARMER: And she found herself checking the Web stream from home in the middle of the night. She says it was comforting to see them inhale⁵ and exhale⁶.

BROTHERS: So I really just felt like it was safe and comfortable.

FARMER: Parents' peace of mind isn't the primary aim, though. Saint Thomas' NICU nursing director Donna Darnell says the new cameras could keep other family members from sneaking⁷ their germs in the unit.

DONNA DARNELL: There are times throughout the year where we really worry about a lot of visitors. Flu season is the best example.

FARMER: Even during normal times, access for family and friends is highly restricted, so parents have loved the video access. Doctors are OK with it. But a study published in the American Journal of Perinatology found some nurses have misgivings⁸ about being watched 24/7. Dr. Gene⁹ Dempsey from the University College Cork¹⁰ in Ireland helped conduct the survey and says nurses worry they'll get even more after-hours calls wanting an explanation for what's on screen. But he says that doesn't seem to happen.

GENE DEMPSEY: In fact, some of the workers suggested that the interaction at parent level, in terms of phone calls in the evening and at nighttime, are less when the system is in place.

FARMER: Dempsey's own hospital is launching a webcam system in the next few weeks and so he's made a point of getting nurses on board.

DEMPSEY: What we are probably going to do, and we've had much discussion with the nursing staff initially¹¹, is that this would be a phased-in process.

FARMER: He says they'll start with virtual visitation hours. At Saint Thomas, the nursing director decided¹² to turn off the live streams whenever they're working with the child, a compromise that seems to have everyone smiling for the camera. For NPR News, I'm Blake Farmer in Nashville.

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 ragged   

adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的

参考例句：

• A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
• Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

3 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

4 prematurely   

adv.过早地，贸然地

参考例句：

• She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产，肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了，不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句

5 inhale   

v.吸入(气体等)，吸(烟)

参考例句：

• Don't inhale dust into your lung.别把灰尘吸进肺里。
• They are pleased to not inhale second hand smoke.他们很高兴他们再也不会吸到二手烟了。

6 exhale   

v.呼气，散出，吐出，蒸发

参考例句：

• Sweet odours exhale from flowers.花儿散发出花香。
• Wade exhaled a cloud of smoke and coughed.韦德吐出一口烟，然后咳嗽起来。

7 sneaking   

a.秘密的，不公开的

参考例句：

• She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
• She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走，躲开采访者。

8 misgivings   

n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧

参考例句：

• I had grave misgivings about making the trip. 对于这次旅行我有过极大的顾虑。
• Don't be overtaken by misgivings and fear. Just go full stream ahead! 不要瞻前顾后， 畏首畏尾。甩开膀子干吧！ 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

10 cork   

n.软木，软木塞

参考例句：

• We heard the pop of a cork.我们听见瓶塞砰的一声打开。
• Cork is a very buoyant material.软木是极易浮起的材料。

11 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

12 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。