Many parents like to have some kind of monitor to 'watch over' their child when he is sleeping. Most common is the baby monitor which acts as a
kind of 'intercom' system. A unit is placed in the baby's room when they are asleep and the parent carries around a second unit and can hear if the
baby is making noises such as crying. Some of these units also contain a camera function so parents can see their child.
Check out the ThinkBaby Buyer's Guide to Baby Monitors for more about these.
Some parents prefer to use movement monitors to keep an eye on their baby while he sleeps. These gauge the regularity of the movement of a baby's chest and
abdomen as he breathes. Some are attached to the baby, others work by ultrasound detection of movement or lack of it, and some are
sensor pads placed beneath the sleeping baby.
There are occasions when parents are advised to use these - in cases of premature babies or if there has been some history of Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome in the family, for example. However, mostly they are used as a free choice for parents.
Monitors can't prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), but they can alert parents to their child's needs when he might be in distress or has
woken up and wants to come out of his crib or cot. If you are thinking about getting a movement monitor, the website by the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (which is devoted to information,
support and advice on SIDS) has a very good document on the subject. Check it out by clicking here.
