Baby monitor movement sensors are increasingly popular among a new generation of technology savvy parents. Commonly referred to as baby breathing monitors, these monitors go beyond just monitoring your baby through sound or video. The goal of any baby monitoring system is to provide caregivers with enough notice to acquire help in time to prevent permanent damage. With a baby monitor movement system in place, caregivers can be warned of potential concerns and attend to the baby fast.
How It Works
It is important to remember that even when babies sleep they move. They toss and turn, just like adults, and they even move when they breathe. Here are two types of movement baby monitors.
1st Type: Ultra sensitive pressure pads
- Fitted under the baby’s mattress to detect even the smallest movement. When your baby is placed on the pad, it picks up all their movements, even those that may be undiscernable to the eye.
- The alarm sounds if no movement is detected within 20 seconds. The movement sensors will work with cribs of any size. The sensor pad cannot sit on springs, so if the mattress does not sit on a solid surface, a thin board will need to be used for proper support.
- When using a movement sensor, parents will need to position the baby over the pad and switch the unit on each time the baby is placed into the crib. Then the unit gets switched off each time the baby is removed from the crib. If the baby gets lifted out of the crib and you forget to turn off the movement monitor, the alarm will sound a few seconds later.
- The parent receiver unit hand-held and can be carried around and clipped onto clothing. Some baby movement monitors include two receivers, for the convenience of both Mom and Dad.
2nd Type: Diaper Clip-On
- Clips onto the baby’s diaper and if it detects no movement for a period of time (usually 15 seconds) it will gently vibrate to stimulate the baby.
- If there is still no movement an alarm goes off to alert the parent that there is a problem.
- The good thing about this type of alarm is that it can be used anywhere, even when your baby is asleep in your own arms.
- Many of the monitors are set on a frequency of 900 Mhz, which provides clear reception. In addition, they are also set to a channel that is not used frequently. This allows for reception to be uninterrupted by static or talk on the channel when the monitor is activated.
Other Features: The nursery unit has a night light which provide a soft glow in the room should a parent want to check on baby during the night. Many also include a room thermometer as well as a remote control to turn on a sound system soft lullaby music designed to soothe the baby when he gets restless.
False Alarms
One of the drawbacks of movement sensors is the high rate of false alarms. That is, the baby is okay but has moved off the pressure-sensitive mat. When the baby moves out of the pad’s range, the movement sensor will sound an alarm since it does not detect any movement.
Preventing SIDS
For parents with premature babies or those worried about SIDS these baby monitors are very useful. Even full term healthy babies often have parents who worry about SIDS and frequently check on their baby at the cost of their own sleep.
Many parents believe it is not rational to be overly concerned about newborns, but this is the time when the most caution should be taken. Parents should never be fearful of how they might look to others, but they also must find measures that work best for them.
Recommended Models
The following movement sensor baby monitor system is popular and highly rated by parents:
Angelcare Deluxe Movement Sensor with Sound Monitor
- This new deluxe model monitors baby with many added features.
- The nursery unit has a soft nightlight and room thermometer.
- The parent unit has a color LCD screen, out of range indicator, unit locator, and optional voice activation.
- The monitor operates on both 900 MHZ and 2.4 GHz frequencies, has 8 channels, and an 820 foot range.
- The system includes an under-the-mattress sensor pad, a nursery unit transmitter, 2 parents’ units receivers, 2 charging bases, 8 rechargeable batteries, and 3 AC adapters.
- The Angelcare is sold under the name Graco and Bebesounds (brand name sold to Graco). The estimated price is $140.This monitor comes with two receivers, a transmitter and of course the sensor pad.
Other monitors of this type you may want to take a look at include the BabySense V Infant Movement Monitor and the Snuza Halo Baby Movement monitor. These baby monitor movement systems include the same basic setup and work in the same way although you may prefer a certain one to the others because of price and features.
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