NICU babies get playful Barbie-themed photoshoot

NICU babies at a Texas hospital are ready for their close-ups.

NICU babies get playful Barbie-themed photoshoot
Courtesy of Texas Health Southwest Fort Worth
August 24, 2023, 1:37 PM

With Barbie-mania heating up this summer, a Texas hospital made sure their youngest patients in the neonatal intensive care unit didn't miss out on the delightful fun.

The care team at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth teamed up with the families of their NICU babies to give the little ones a bright pink Barbie-themed photoshoot on Aug. 2.

Two baby girls wore pink bows in pink Barbie doll box frames while four baby boys -- including one set of twins -- were nestled in Ken boxes.

The hospital staff at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth dressed up their NICU patients for a Barbie-themed photo shoot on Aug. 2, 2023.
Courtesy of Texas Health Southwest Fort Worth
The hospital staff at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth dressed up their NICU patients for a Barbie-themed photo shoot on Aug. 2, 2023.
Courtesy of Texas Health Southwest Fort Worth
The hospital staff at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth dressed up their NICU patients for a Barbie-themed photo shoot on Aug. 2, 2023.
Courtesy of Texas Health Southwest Fort Worth
The hospital staff at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth dressed up their NICU patients for a Barbie-themed photo shoot on Aug. 2, 2023.
Courtesy of Texas Health Southwest Fort Worth
The hospital staff at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth dressed up their NICU patients for a Barbie-themed photo shoot on Aug. 2, 2023.
Courtesy of Texas Health Southwest Fort Worth

Hospital NICU staffers often dress NICU patients in cute, themed outfits to bring parents and staff a dose of welcome cheer, and the Barbie-themed photoshoot was no exception.

"We took advantage of the Barbie popularity to do a little something special for our families," Kathryn Callahan, a NICU nurse at Texas Health Southwest Fort Worth, said in a statement. "Having a baby in the NICU is not easy but activities like these give us the opportunity to bond with these families and help make their hospital stay just a bit brighter."