In the News

Wearable Sleep Monitors

WBUR-FM Here & Now

New parents often turn to wearable monitors to provide added assurance while baby sleeps, but are they effective? “I think it’s intended to be a way to try to relieve parents’ anxiety and to get them some  kind of peace of mind that they would know if their child had difficulty with breathing or a drop in their oxygen or a drop in their heart rate. It cannot tell you if there is a medical problem with your child,” said Jenelle Ferry, M.D., a neonatologist at Pediatrix® Neonatology of Florida. “The biggest thing that I hear from parents is that they want a guarantee – they want to know that their baby is always going to be safe and so some parents are seeking out devices like this to kind of give them that assurance,” Dr. Ferry added. “In that regard, it can’t – it can’t give that assurance.”

 

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