Lancaster Hospital Offered Video Calls to Introduce Newborns in 1994

Before FaceTime, this was how families met new babies from afar.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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In 1994, Lancaster General Hospital in Pennsylvania offered new mothers the ability to introduce their newborns to distant family members using one of the first video phones. This allowed mothers like Kathy Law to show her sister in Seattle her new baby boy Adam in real-time, even though the video quality was grainy and the camera boxy compared to today's standards.

Why it matters

This early use of video technology to connect families across distances highlights how technology has evolved to make it easier for people to stay connected, especially for major life events like the birth of a new child. While the 1994 video phone system seems primitive by today's standards, it served an important purpose in an era before widespread video calling capabilities.

The details

The video phone system allowed new mothers to show their newborns to distant family members in real-time, even though the video quality was grainy and the camera equipment was bulky compared to modern smartphones. Kathy Law was able to introduce her third child, baby Adam, to her sister in Seattle using this technology.

  • The video phone system was offered at Lancaster General Hospital in Pennsylvania in 1994.

The players

Kathy Law

A new mother who used the video phone system at Lancaster General Hospital to introduce her newborn son Adam to her sister in Seattle.

Lancaster General Hospital

A hospital in Pennsylvania that offered new mothers the ability to use an early video phone system to connect with distant family members and introduce their newborns.

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The takeaway

This early use of video technology to connect families across distances highlights how far communication tools have come, making it easier than ever for people to stay connected during major life events like the birth of a new child.