Baby Monitoring – How Good Is Technology In Giving You Peace Of Mind
Being a parent for the first time feels nervous for most people. When you prepare to invite that cute, small creature to your family, you also bring bundles of anxieties regarding the baby’s health and wellness. The business world has not failed to capitalize on these parental anxieties and the need for parents to stay at peace with regard to their child. The line of wearable smart baby sensors is an example to this technological innovations. Nevertheless, do these gadgets assure real peace of mind or doing the contrary is the topic of this discussion.
Some of the startling examples of smart baby monitors include the Owlet Smart Sock, the MonBaby Smart Button, and the Snuza Pico. These devices are to be placed on your baby’s body to monitor aspects of respiration, heartbeat, baby’s sleeping position, blood oxygen level, body temperature and others. If there are notable fluctuations or changes in these aspects, this device and your smartphone connected to it can send signals to warn you. Though the concept is exciting to new parents, the actual experience reveals the results are far from encouraging.
Downsides to smart baby monitors
In reality, constant information does not guarantee comfort, rather it can inspire a perennial anxiety.
Most devices suffer range issues and cannot transmit the signals when your smartphone goes out of coverage distance. In many cases, you will have to leave your phone within ten feet from your baby.
False alarms due to some technical snags are a universal problem in most devices which drive you to panic when things are fine with your baby.
Often placing the devices in position on the baby’s body is a problem since you will have to change the baby diapers frequently.
Some features that the device markers promise do not work or need a firmware update which can make the process a nuisance and hassle.
The FDA has not approved any of these devices for use as a medical device. In fact, the Journal of American Medical Association has warned that there are no valid medical reasons for monitoring healthy babies at home.
The above-said facts based on a realistic experience of using these devices make us wonder whether it is a smart decision to invest in these expensive smart baby monitors to monitor your baby while they can never guarantee the much-needed peace of mind.