Supporting Family-Centered Newborn Care at MercyOne Children’s Hospital

The moments immediately after birth are essential not only for a newborn’s health, but for the bonding that begins between parents and their baby. With grant funding from Variety – the Children’s Charity of Iowa, MercyOne Children’s Hospital upgraded infant warmers and reconstructed cabinetry in two labor rooms to house them, creating a care environment that better supports both safe clinical care and uninterrupted family connection.

The new warmers can be easily pulled from integrated cabinetry and positioned close to the mother, allowing nurses to move newborns smoothly from skin-to-skin contact with mom to the warmer, and back again as needed. Because the setup keeps the warmer within the mother’s view and minimizes distance, separation is reduced and bonding can continue even during brief clinical care transitions.

Babies remain warm, closely monitored, and safely supported, while mothers stay reassured and engaged in those first tender moments. The flexibility of the system allows care to flow more naturally, balancing medical needs with the emotional importance of early connection.

By integrating newborn care more seamlessly into the delivery room experience, Variety’s support is helping MercyOne ensure that families can focus on connection from the very beginning, while babies receive attentive, high-quality care.