Generation Alpha is the most tech-infused cohort, born in or after 2010—the same year iPads launched. Not surprisingly, the products used to assist parents in caring for this generation are higher tech, too.

While baby products have always existed, a new sector of smart “babytech” products, apps, and gadgets is now being marketed to the modern parent. The global babytech market is valued at US $197.23BN, growing at an estimated 8.9 percent over the next 8 years. In recent years, leading parenting websites have been featuring these babytech products as “must-have” items for baby registries to provide increased oversight and monitoring, improve infant safety, and create peace of mind for new parents.

As a therapist certified in perinatal mental health, I was curious about a few things:

I reviewed research and existing data for three categories of baby items and will summarize them below:

Wearable digital baby monitors, typically used during sleep, are snapped onto baby’s clothes or attached directly to the body. The wearable monitors feature integrated smart apps that record and transmit the baby’s vital signs, such as heart rate and oxygen levels, back to the caregiver. Parents can monitor this information and receive alerts throughout the night. For example, one smart wearable monitor provides red (flashing) alerts to indicate the baby’s vitals are “critical,” meaning the heart rate is either high or low or oxygen levels are low.

What is the safety, accuracy, and effectiveness of these products? To date, there isn’t evidence to answer this question. They are not medical devices and, as such, they are not reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

What has been reported is that wearable monitors have produced false alerts in healthy infants. Rather than offering assurance, false alerts may create parental anxiety and also lead to unnecessary emergency medical visits based on an incorrect belief that a baby’s health is........

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