Natus Medical Inc. is acquiring German healthcare equipment company Babybe GmbH.

The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Babybe offers technology to remotely connect a mother to her baby in the neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU. The two are connected in real-time through heartbeat, breathing and vocal sounds using a mattress system. The company's technology will add to Natus's newborn care portfolio of products, said Natus.

"It complements NICVIEW, our remote video streaming service for NICU babies and offers mothers an additional level of remote interaction with babies isolated in the NICU," said Jonathan Kennedy, president and CEO of Natus, in a Nov. 23 press release.

Natus noted that ongoing clinical studies are assessing how Babybe's technology impacts weight gain, apnea and neuro-development in premature newborns who are isolated in the NICU.

The company expects the Babybe product to be available in commercial quantities in early 2022.