Babies go PARENTS OF NEWBORNS are going online at some Hawaii hospitals to immediately share their blessed event with friends and family members around the world.
online with Web
nurseries
Several isle hospitals have
Web sites where parents can post
their baby's informationBy Helen Altonn
Star-BulletinThe Web sites present the baby's photo and all the information traditionally included on an announcement card: date and time of birth, weight, length, gender and parents' names.
The Queen's Medical Center's "Online Nursery" also accommodates messages from parents.
Any information provided on births by hospitals, however, is strictly up to the parents to ensure their privacy, officials say.
Some mainland hospitals release no birth information, while others require written consent. Their chief concern is to protect against infant abductions.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports 200 abductions of children below age 6 in the United States from 1983 to 2000.
That hasn't been a problem in Hawaii, but every childbirth facility has concerns about it, said Joy Nakamoto, nurse manager at Queen's.
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Years ago, hospitals sent names of newborns to the newspapers. Now, she said, no information is released without the parents' permission.
"It's really a sad state of affairs in some ways," Nakamoto said. "Where people used to put announcements in the paper or a stork in the yard announcing a new one, there is a lot of concern about doing that kind of thing because of problems with abduction."
Nakamoto said Queen's "Online Nursery" is about 2 years old and is quite popular. Parents are informed of the service after a baby is delivered and are invited to participate, she said.
"On occasion," Nakamoto said, "people actually will be very eager to do it because they have a grandma or grandpa elsewhere in the world, and that's the way they communicate. Grandma and Grandpa want to see the baby. This is the fastest way to get it there."
Kapiolani Health has a secure Web site, "Babies On-line," that can be viewed only with a password parents share with family and friends, said spokeswoman Pat Oda. "We did that because younger people are techno-savvy," she said. "They like speed and convenience and the wide opportunity to reach a lot of people, friends and family that the Web offers."
Vicky Doi, Kapiolani marketing director, said she worked with women on the newborn-services staff to develop the Web site, launched last fall.
"The health and safety of babies is the No. 1 concern," she said. "We opted to take the extra step of making our Web nursery a secure service."
About 75 percent of Kapiolani's birth families choose to participate in the free online service when the photographer visits the room, she said, adding that reaction has been "really positive."
"We get response from grandmas and aunties on the mainland about how wonderful the service is and how appreciative they are that the hospital has made the service available."
Kaiser Permanente spokeswoman Jan Kagehiro said it does not have a baby Web site, but parents can participate in a newspaper announcement.
"When the hospitals started putting things online, we decided not to because of patient confidentiality," she said.
"We've always kept that information confidential. It is up to parents if they want to do anything beyond that."
Jill Seibel of Castle Medical Center's birth center said it also does not have a Web site for births. But parents can sign a consent to release information for a "Growing Family First Photo" Web site by Growing Family, a Missouri-based photo company.
"The 'Growing Family' Web nursery is a quick and easy way to share your good news with the world," Seibel said. The company puts it online free with any photo package purchased, she said.
Families can choose a password if they wish to protect access to the information, said a Growing Family spokesperson.