Movement Sensors

Mixed reviews for movement sensors

If you, or someone you know, are a parent who has to worry about the health of a seriously ill child -- or if you are worried about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) -- a movement sensor might help to alleviate some of your fears. This type of monitor uses a motion-sensing pad that alarms if your child doesn't move for 20 seconds. Movement monitors are often marketed as a preventative device for SIDS, but it's important to note that there's no evidence that using such a monitor lessens your risk at all. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics states that despite multiple studies over more than two decades, there's no evidence that using cardiorespiratory monitors prevents SIDS ("Pediatrics," April 2003). In fact, the agency advises that the vast majority of parents should not use these types of sensors at all; only parents of certain at-risk premature babies should use a doctor-prescribed sensor equipped with an event monitor.

Despite the position of the American Academy of Pediatrics, thousands of parents say they still appreciate the peace of mind they get from movement monitors.

The Angelcare Movement Sensor with Sound Monitor AC201 (*Est. $85) or the Angelcare Movement Sensor with Sound Monitor with Two Parent Units AC2012P (*Est. $110) include a motion sensor pad that triggers an alarm if your baby doesn't move for 20 seconds. The Angelcare also has an audible "tick" option that lets you hear each of your baby's movements. Several parents on Amazon.com remark on how well the monitor worked overall and claim that it let them know when their child wasn't breathing, either due to their faces being muffled or to sleep apnea.

The Angelcare Deluxe Monitor 1750295 (*Est. $130) works the same way as the standard version, but with the addition of a night light, a voice activation feature and rechargeable batteries. The Angelcare Deluxe Monitor 1750295 also allows parents to monitor the nursery temperature remotely. It comes with two parent unit receivers. Some parents say these extras are nice, but at a little more than half the price, the basic Angelcare Movement Sensor with Sound Monitor AC201 receives just as good parent reviews overall.

Keep in mind that parents of older babies complain of false alarms when infants roll off the sensor pad. However, the motion detection seems to work well for younger babies, and parents can adjust the sensitivity of the sensor pad to reduce the chance of false alarms.