Check Up on Your Baby Without Disturbing Them

During the first six months of your baby's life, it's logical to worry about their breathing patterns during sleep. Traditional baby monitors don't allow you to watch your baby and often aren't sensitive enough to pick up the sounds of baby's breathing (and, if they are, then they're too sensitive to the loud racket when baby wakes up!). Parents who are concerned about the risk of SIDS can purchase a breathing monitor, which informs them when the baby's breathing pauses or stops for an abnormal amount of time. It's also recommended to use baby sleeping bags in place of blankets in the cot.

Baby sleeping bags are a type of wearable blanket for small infants, with holes for the arms and neck and a zipper closure. They're designed to keep infants warm without the use of loose blankets. When used along with a breathing monitor, baby sleeping bags provide significant protection against SIDS. Baby sleeping bags are affordable and fairly common, making them the most accessible form of SIDS prevention on the market today, although breathing monitors are currently around the same price as a standard baby monitor.

Most of these monitors will sound an alarm after the baby's breathing has stopped for ten or twenty seconds; you can change this setting on the monitor itself. The system consists of a sensor, either in a pad that goes beneath the mattress or as a small disc to be taped to the infant, attached to an alarm box (the main unit). Some models include a wireless receiver so that you can monitor the baby's breathing from another room or while moving around the house. Each breath your baby takes is marked with a beep or a flashing light, and if the baby ceases breathing for ten or twenty seconds, a loud alarm will sound.

Development of the Breathing Monitor

The breathing monitor was developed originally during SIDS research, in an effort to uncover the true cause of SIDS. Researchers Viera Scheibner and Leif Karlsson believed cot death was due to prolonged episodes of sleep apnea in small infants. While breathing monitors alone cannot prevent the likelihood of SIDS, they can at least alert you in case of an emergency.

Similarly, baby sleeping bags were invented during SIDS research. Baby sleeping bags have been shown to reduce the chances of cot death as they frequently prevent infants from rolling over in their sleep, conveniently replace loose blankets with a "fixed" source of warmth, and promote the practice of putting infants to sleep on their backs. Baby sleeping bags are available in many stores, and can be found in styles and textures ranging from sturdy cotton to luxurious alpaca. It's best to have two to four baby sleeping bags, so you'll always have one clean when you need it.

Do You Need a Breathing Monitor?

A breathing monitor is only an alarm system, and in no way prevents an incident of sleep apnea or SIDS from occurring. However, using breathing monitors in conjunction with baby sleeping bags will reduce the likelihood of SIDS by at least 50%. If you've previously lost a child to cot death, or if you're very concerned about it, a breathing monitor can be a valuable source of peace of mind. To get the greatest prevention against SIDS, it's recommended to use a breathing monitor along with baby sleeping bags, have no loose blankets or any soft fabrics in the cot at all (other than the cot sheet), and keep your infant in a bassinet or moses' cradle in your room until six months of age for easier checking.