Health experts in the US have urged parents to be wary when investing in a new brand of baby monitor that claims to measure a baby’s pulse rate and oxygen level.
So-called physiological baby monitors have risen to prominence over the past year or so, and are marketed as a means of providing extra health regulation during Baby’s early months.
However, a new research report has raised questions over the safety of placing your trust in these machines, with experts claiming that they may not even provide accurate readings.
A study was carried out by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in conjunction with the ECRI Institute, an American non-profit organisation that tests medical devices.
As part of the study, the researchers assessed various models of these monitors, which work via an app that is connected to sensors built into Baby’s clothing and nappies.
What they found was concerning: while there are no official medical guidelines for the use of these monitors, readings actually turned out to be incorrect in some cases.
David Jamison, of the ECRI Institute, wrote in the JAMA journal: “There is no publicly available evidence that these baby monitors are accurate in measuring a baby’s vital signs. And since these baby monitors are not regulated by the FDA, we have to question what testing has been done to assure the safety and quality of these designs.”
And even if the readings do turn out to be accurate, the room for even a single error is too broad.
“There is a serious question [as to] whether they are appropriate in monitoring healthy infants. A single abnormal reading may cause over-diagnosis – an accurate detection that does not benefit a patient,” he added.
With these new machines being ‘marketed aggressively’, the researchers have urged parents to take caution if and when investing in a regulatory monitor.
