Would you invest in a baby monitor that could send you live data about your child's heart-rate, breathing and temperature?
The next generation of baby monitors are not yet available in the UK but they're already gaining popularity with parents across the pond.
But today the Independent reports that parents "should be aware that none of the existing products had been regulated as medical devices and therefore had not had to undergo trials of their effectiveness" which effectively means that they have "no proved use in safeguarding infants or detecting health problems, and they certainly have no role in preventing SIDS”.
Somehow I doubt that will be enough to put parents off these gadgets, since what we're surely really buying here is the promise of peace of mind, and you can't put a price on that.
I understand that infant heart-rate monitors might not actually deliver peace of mind if they're not technically able to do the clever things we think they can when we hand over the credit card, but I'm also a firm believer in the old 'if it works, it's in' approach to decision-making as a parent. So if a pricy monitor makes you feel more confident as a parent and you can afford to splash out on one, who am I to argue?
That said, I'm also a firm believer in the very old-fashioned practice of keeping an ear out for your kid, and periodically checking on them when they're sleeping.
What about you? Do you think price baby gadgets are worth every penny on the basis that they make you feel less anxious as a parent? Or do you think such things are gimmicky tricks that are best avoided in favour of an old-fashioned, common sense approach?
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