As a parent, you want to do everything you can to keep your baby safe at night, and buying a monitor that is sensitive to your baby’s breathing may seem like a great reassurance tool. But do they actually create even more anxiety?
Sometimes…
These kinds of monitors are known to give off false alarms, especially as your baby starts wriggling around the cot and off the sensor pad that monitors their breathing. The most important thing is that you do what feels right for you and your child.
Thankfully, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is rare and there are steps that you can take that have been proven to reduce the risk:
- Keep your baby in the same room as you for the first six months. Ideally, your baby should sleep on his back with his feet at the foot of the cot. This will stop him from wriggling down beneath the covers.
- Make sure your baby’s room is at a comfortable sleeping temperature (between 16 degrees C and 20 degrees C) and cover him in one more layer of clothing or bedding than you would wear. Your little one may like a baby comforter to sleep but remove any large soft toys from the cot to prevent the risk of suffocation.
- Don’t smoke around your baby and don’t allow him to be exposed to smoky atmospheres. If your baby has been in this environment or has been around someone who has recently smoked, make sure you change his clothes before he goes to bed.
- Seek prompt medical advice if you think your child is unwell.
