What parents need to know about baby monitoring apps

One way they could make babies less safe is by subjecting them to medical visits and tests for no good reason. The thing is, it’s not uncommon for a heart rate or breathing rate of a baby to go up or down briefly, or for their oxygen level to drop and then come back up. There are all sorts of reasons it happens — and the vast majority of the time it’s nothing to worry about. The vast majority of the time, actually, we don’t even realize it happened because the baby looks and acts completely fine.

Key Takeaways:

• These apps are not marketed as medical devices, and so aren’t subject to any testing or regulation.
• One way they could make babies less safe is by subjecting them to medical visits and tests for no good reason.
• When parents go and check on babies IRL (In Real Life), they learn their sounds and movements.

“Technology can make our lives safer and better, there is no question. But we have to be really thoughtful and careful in how we choose and use technology when it comes to the health and safety of our children.”

http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/parents-need-know-baby-monitoring-apps-2017013111140