A Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) monitor is a type of baby monitor that alerts parents when a baby is not breathing, during sleep, for a certain period of time, usually about 15 seconds. Its goal is to help prevent SIDS, a syndrome marked by the death of a baby in sleep for no apparent reason, even after an autopsy has been performed. There are two main types of SIDS monitors on the market: a pad that the baby sleeps on and a device that attaches to the baby's diaper.
A pad-type SIDS monitor usually slides under the mattress in the crib and connects wirelessly to a handheld transmitter, just like normal baby monitors. Although the mat and transmitter are connected wirelessly, most pad type monitors require that the sensor mat be attached to the base of the monitor, so parents should take extra care to keep cables and cords out of the room. baby's reach. If the pad cannot detect movement, including breathing, for 15-20 seconds, the monitor triggers alarms on the transmitter. Some users have found that the pad-type SIDS monitor can generate false alarms when the baby moves away from the area of the mattress under which the pad is located. Some reviews of this style also advise parents to remember to turn off the sensor when taking the baby out of the crib. Failure to do so will cause a surprise alarm because the monitor cannot distinguish between a non-breathing baby and an empty crib.
The clip-style SIDS monitor is a small device that attaches to the waist area of the baby's diaper, giving it direct contact with the baby's skin on the stomach. Once turned on, the piece uses a sensor to know when the baby breathes and moves. After a short period of time, usually 15-20 seconds, and the baby did not breathe or move, an alarm will sound to alert parents that something may be wrong. Some monitors of this style vibrate first, in an attempt to stimulate the baby to breathe. If there is still no movement after the vibratory stimulus, an alarm is triggered and the lights on the clip will flash red. The alarm also goes off when skin contact is lost, and even the clip that falls off the diaper will trigger an alert.