Factors To Think About When Shopping For Safety Baby Monitors
Posted by Babies - 04/02/10 at 06:02 pmDuring the first few weeks of a baby’s life, it can be challenging for new parents to get even basic activities accomplished. Suppose you have to use the bathroom, take a shower or make dinner. Leaving the baby alone can be a frightening thing, although it’s also important for the baby to spend a little alone-time in the crib (for your sanity’s sake!) To help you multi-task and save peace of mind, there are many safety baby monitors on the market. Some have video capabilities, while others only have audio. A baby video monitor is ideal for the busy, yet concerned parent.
When browsing for a baby monitor, the most important factor is clear reception. Muffled, fuzzy or screeching sounds will be distracting and difficult to discern from ambient sounds. This is a tip I learned from our St Louis Childcare center. With low-end wireless baby monitors, cordless telephone conversations may come through the channel or simple everyday appliances like microwaves may jumble the pictures or sounds. The best way to avoid interference is to purchase a quality baby infant monitor that has a similar range to your home size. If you buy one that is too large, it will be easier to pick up the neighbor’s frequencies. Also, tests show that digital baby monitors have less trouble with interference than analog baby monitors, so that should be considered as well. If you do settle on an analog monitor, ensure that your cordless phone and monitor do not work off the same Gigahertz frequency and look for a model that offers at least two different channel selections.
There can be some problems with safety baby monitors from time to time, making them less safe for your child. Some digital monitors may be overly sensitive, signaling every little gurgle, roll-over or sound. After a while, it becomes a case of “the baby monitor who cried wolf,” where you’ll be so desensitized to the constant alarms that you might miss a real emergency. Also, many monitors do not have a very extensive range, which can make you think everything is quiet and lovely, when in reality, your baby is shrieking out of your range. Sometimes electronic devices like cordless phones and microwaves can also cause interference, making sounds muffled and distorted and leaving you to wonder, “Why did I buy this useless thing?”
In conclusion, safety baby monitors are non-essential, yet useful tools for new parents. Video baby monitors can show parents when the baby has awakened, so they know when to get the baby from the crib, without waiting for the warning screams. They can also reveal if the baby is caught up in the blankets, gnawing on the crib or in some other sort of precarious position. Parents can see if the family pets or their other children are bothering the baby in some way. For moms and dads worried about sleep apnea, breathing troubles or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, these systems can provide great peace of mind.
