• Suitable for 0-18Months

Baby breathing monitors

By Raising Children Network
 
 

There’s no evidence that baby breathing (or apnoea) monitors protect babies from SIDS. In fact, a breathing monitor might just make your life more stressful.

Baby breathing monitors are designed to go off if your child stops breathing.

Unfortunately, many monitors have frequent false alarms. Frequent unnecessary trips to the hospital are the last thing you want if you’re already sleep deprived.

If you feel a monitor would help to put your mind at ease, talk to your doctor about how best to use it, and about how to resuscitate your child if your child does stop breathing.

If your doctor has prescribed an apnoea monitor for your child, definitely use it, but make sure:

  • your doctor has given you plenty of information about what to do in case of an alarm
  • you have a contact name and telephone number to call in an emergency.
View our film clip on baby CPR, and print out our illustrated guide to CPR for babies.
 
 
 
  • Last updated10-02-2010
  • Last reviewed12-08-2009
  • Acknowledgements

    RCN thanks SIDS and Kids Australia for their helpful comments on earlier drafts of this article.

References

  • SIDS and Kids (2005). Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved 11 April 2006 from http://www.sidsandkids.org/documents/FAQSept2005.doc#_29.__Do