Looking For The Best Baby Sleep Apnea Monitors

Everyone experiences pauses in breathing once in a while. This does not only happen to adults but to babies as well. This breathing pattern is called apnea. Although this is completely normal to some, it may also be related to some health conditions that should be a cause for concern especially when it happens to your baby. Being in this kind of predicament, you may opt to seek for the help of baby sleep apnea monitors.

The Different Types of Apneas

The word apnea has its origin from a Greek word which means “without wind.” It is the medical term used to describe the occasional cessation of breathing of a person. Even though it is normal, it may also be a symptom of something more serious that is health related.

Basically there are three types of apnea: obstructive, central and mixed. Obstructive apnea is most common in babies and children. It is caused by obstructions in the airway such as adenoids and enlarged tonsils. This is quite dangerous especially for babies since it usually happens during sleep time. And as babies, they still can’t articulate whether they are already experiencing symptoms of the condition.

Symptoms of this type of apnea include snoring, labored breathing, gasping for air, and changes in color. But the cardinal sign of obstructive apnea in babies is restlessness.

Another type of apnea is central apnea. This is usually caused by defect in the part of the brain the controls breathing. In babies, this could be a congenital defect. Central apnea is very rare in adults but quite common in babies especially those who were born prematurely. Unlike obstructive apnea, this can happen at any time of the day.

The third type of apnea is called mixed apnea. This condition is the combination of obstructive apnea and central apnea. This is particularly very common in infants. It could occur any time, whether awake or asleep.

What To Do If You Think Your Baby Has Apnea

When your baby is born, he or she is automatically evaluated for any problems in health like defects in breathing. But this is just an initial evaluation which can change in the next few months. The first step is to have your baby checked up by his or her doctor. If apnea is detected, the doctor can suggest different ways to help you monitor your baby one of which is with the use of baby sleep apnea monitor.

What to Look for In Baby Sleep Apnea Monitors

There are a lot of different baby sleep apnea monitors each with different features. In choosing a baby sleep apnea monitor, there are certain features that the device must have to ensure the proper monitoring of your baby.

Heart Beat Monitor

This feature is a must for the device that you will choose since no apnea monitor is 100 percent accurate in detecting cessation of breathing. This will serve as a backup in case the apnea monitor fails to detect apnea because it will also manifest in the heart rate of the baby.

Another must have feature is a remote alarm. Even if you are not in the same room with the baby, a remote monitor will notify you if anything goes wrong. It must also have a power loss alarm. This is used when the devices are low in power. Last but not the least, the device must also be equipped with an AC power for recharging and powering the device.

Baby Heartbeat Monitor

Although baby heartbeat monitors are most commonly used at pre-natal visits and
during labor, some women fancy the idea of monitoring their babies at home. The Belly Beats or Baby Beat
Fetal Doppler baby digital monitor system can be rented for as paltry as $24-$49/month or bought for as much
as $499. Women who have miscarried or have had problems with past pregnancies may find considerable comfort
and peace of mind with a system like this, which allows them to keep the movement of their baby’s every
breath to know that the pregnancy is going well.

A baby heart beat monitor is available as an external and internal type. Using an the
external baby monitor system during your term will report the baby’s heart rate, measure the period of
contractions, tests for fetal stress and evaluate amniotic fluid levels. This kind of baby infant monitor may be
a stethoscope, two flat elastic sensors or an ultrasound equipment. Sometimes the data is heard as a beeping
sound, whilst other times, a chart reading is printed out. Baby heart monitor readings are a great way to keep
track the health of the baby and sense uterine contractions during labor.

Baby heartbeat monitors can also be internal. Generally the internal baby monitor
system is only used when complications arise during labor. Once the mother’s cervix has dilated at least two
centimeters and the amniotic sac has ruptured, continuous internal monitoring is done to find out whether the
stressfulness of labor is a threat to the baby’s health and also to measure the strength/duration of labor
contractions. To do this, an electrode is inserted in through the vagina, cervix, uterus and to the baby’s
head. Chart print-outs and beeping sounds let doctors and nurses know exactly what’s going on during this
urgent time.

To prepare for heart rate monitors testing, mothers may be asked to eat a meal
shortly before the non-stress test because food digestion will increase the baby’s movements. Conversely,
contraction tests may require mothers to abstain from eating or drinking 4 to 8 hours prior to monitoring.
Mothers who smoke will need to avoid smoking for two hours before the test because smoking decreases the
baby’s activity. Doctors will check to see that the baby’s heart rate is between 120 to 160 beats per minute.
If abnormal readings occur, sometimes ultrasound video monitors will be consulted and blood samples will be
taken.