Wichita ? Terri and Michael Bahr assumed that their first child’s birth would be uneventful a normal delivery, a quick return home and a crowd of family and friends to help them celebrate.

But Terri went into labor six weeks early and was rushed to Wesley Medical Center. Her son, Michael Steven Bahr, weighed less than 4 pounds. His esophagus was connected to his trachea instead of his stomach, which required surgery. Doctors told the Bahrs their baby would likely be in the neonatal intensive care unit for a while.

But a new service called GrowCam is letting tiny Michael Bahr and other babies in the NICU or special-care nurseries meet adoring relatives via the Internet.

Thirty- to 60-second videos of the newborns are posted on the hospital’s Web site, where friends and family members with a private access code can call up a clip on their home computers.

“Many times, those family members live way out in western Kansas, so it’s hard for them to see the baby in person,” said Helen Thomas, spokeswoman for Wesley.

“This way, they can see the baby as many times as they want. They can hear the parent talking. . . . It’s a way to connect.”

That’s My Baby, the company that sells newborn photo packages elsewhere in the hospital and at the BirthCare Center, films the videos. The Wesley Medical Center Auxiliary underwrites the program, so it is free to parents.

The online video-clip program is the only one in Wichita and one of only a handful in the country.

The video filming is quick and convenient, usually taking place in a rocking chair alongside the baby’s bassinet.

When Terri Bahr recorded hers last week, she cradled Michael in a blanket while videographer Judy Larson adjusted the camera to frame the baby’s face.

“Do you have any idea what you want to say?” Larson asked.

“Not really,” Bahr said.

“Just tell us who he is and what’s going on with him, and introduce him to the world,” Larson said, smiling. “Speak loudly, and look up toward the camera.”

Bahr obliged, reciting Michael’s name, birthday, weight and height. Then she talked about his personality.

“He’s very, very feisty,” she said. “He likes to pull out his tubes and wires and stuff. … He’s doing well, he’s getting bigger, and we can’t wait to bring him home.”

Larson said she enjoys working with parents in the NICU and special-care nurseries because most crave a way to celebrate and boast about their little miracles. Many of the babies are in critical condition, some weighing 2 pounds or less.

“I was filming one who was so tiny, her mother hadn’t gotten to hold her before,” she said. “I got to see that mother pick up and hold her baby for the first time.”

If their baby’s hospital stay is lengthy, parents can post follow-up videos, updating the baby’s condition.

“It’s really good because we live out of town, and a lot of our friends and family can’t come see him,” Terri Bahr said. “We wouldn’t want everyone up here anyway, because there’s such a risk of infection.

“Now they can see him,” she said. “And we can brag about him.”