Baby sleep monitor is helpful in detecting Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) or crib death when it occurs and may give sufficient warning to revive the baby. Crib death is a significant cause for baby fatalities worldwide. SIDS occurs when a baby stops breathing with no apparent reasons and this normally happens while the baby is sleeping.

A good baby sleep monitor should have the following features:

• Generate an alarm with sufficient time to revive the baby.
• Minimize false alarms.
• Look for early warnings and assess SIDS risk levels.
• Alarm thresholds should be configurable as different babies would have different sleeping patterns.

There are several types of baby monitors, depending on how the monitor works. The best one measures a baby's vital signs and the second best detects the lack of breathing motion. The baby sleep monitor shown above is a prime example for a baby vital sign monitor.

Physiological baby sleep monitor

A Physiological baby sleep monitor measures the baby's vital signs, such as pulse rate and blood oxygen saturation level (SpO2) and sounds an alarm when any of the parameters falls outside a pre-defined range. This is probably the most direct measurements of a baby's health condition.

Although the primary cause of SIDS has not be determined, there is growing evidence that the victims have had previous hypoxic episodes. Hypoxic episodes may be an early warning sign for SIDS. Hypoxic episodes can be detected by measuring a person's blood oxygen saturation level. Blood oxygen saturation level is also general indicator of the baby's condition. Healthy baby at normal conditions should have a reading of 97 to 99%.

Low blood oxygen saturation level is the direct result of apnea or insufficient of oxygen intake. If there is a sudden drop in the SpO2 level of ≥ 4% and if it stays below 90%, this is an early warning sign of trouble. Normally the baby should snap out of this condition within a short time; otherwise action may be required.

Lethal arrhythmia had been proposed by several groups as the primary cause of sudden infant death syndrome. However, in Sudden infant death syndrome (crib death), the author (Guntheroth WG.) argued that the arrhythmia may be the result of hypoxic apnea, rather than the cause of SIDS and bradycardia (low heart rate) is also indicator of trouble.

Mesuring heart rate has a definite advantage over measuring hypoxic episodes alone.

Baby movement (breathing) monitor

Baby movement monitor detects baby's movement or the lack of it and an alarm will sound if no movement is detected for a preconfigured time period. It works by putting sensors around the baby and making sure that the baby is breathing. The sensor may be put on the mattress or attached to the baby.

It is important to calibrate the monitor to prevent excessive false alarms. Too many false alarms is as bad as no alarm at all.

Baby video monitor

Baby video monitor can show you what your baby is doing all the time without going to the baby's room. This can be interesting and reassuring for parents.

Baby audio monitor

Baby audio monitor allows you to hear what the baby is up to - crying, laughing, or talking to himself. Some monitor can even hearing the baby's breathing.

Summary

The need for a baby monitor is controversial, except in high risk cases. However if it can relieve some burden form a parent's heart, it is still worth the price just to get the peace of mind. If you decide to buy a baby sleep monitor, get a psysiological baby smooth monitor.