Baby Apnea Monitor, SIDS, Heartbeat, Remote, Alarm

Apnea refers to the Greek word meaning 'without wind' and in medical parlance it is used to describe the condition when a person momentarily stops breathing. Everyone experiences a pause in breathing some time or the other but normally it is not a cause for concern. Adults as well as babies experience this problem and this pattern is called apnea.

Although completely normal in most cases, in a few it may be related to some health condition and this may require constant monitoring, especially where small babies are concerned. A baby apnea monitor helps you through this predicament as it lets you monitor your child's breathing pattern.

The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS is a very real fear that parents have to live with and especially if the child has been diagnosed with some breathing problems at birth. This means that the child simply stops breathing. It is very difficult to constantly keep a vigil over the baby especially at night time when parents themselves are tired and may be too sleepy to properly check on the baby. The apnea baby monitor can do the watching for the parents and alert them to any irregular pattern of breathing.

Apnea can be of three types: obstructive, central, mixed. Out of these, obstructive apnea is the most common type occurring in babies and small children. This is caused by the presence of adenoids and enlarged tonsils which obstruct the nasal airway. This apnea normally occurs during sleep and is dangerous for babies because babies cannot comprehend when there is a pause in their breathing.

Restlessness is the most important symptom of this type of apnea though snoring, gasping for air, changes in color, and labored breathing may also be indicative. The central apnea is pretty common in babies and is normally a congenital defect especially in premature babies. This is caused by some defect in the brain and cessation of breathing can happen anytime. It is therefore more imperative that parents go in for a baby apnea monitor if the baby has been diagnosed with this condition.

The mixed apnea is a combination of the above two types of apnea and infants are more prone to this problem and it can take place even if the baby is awake. A baby monitor and more specifically, a baby apnea monitor is therefore irreplaceable in these circumstances. Many also come with extra features like a heartbeat monitor which serves as a back up in case the apnea monitor fails to detect any abnormal breathing patterns. The heartbeat of the baby will alert parents to his condition. A remote alarm can also notify you if you happen to be in some other room.

So, if you have already had any inklings of any irregularities in baby's breathing, buy a baby apnea monitor before indulging yourself with new maternity clothes, and baby gear like cute bottles and tiny helmets with Disney cartoons !