Though the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome has steadily decreased over the years, it is still the leading cause of death for infants aged 1 to 12 months. To provide an alternative to monitoring devices that are positioned underneath the infant’s mattress, Snuza (Cape Town, South Africa) has launched the Halo, a light (weighing approximately 30 g), portable device that monitors the infant’s movement with a sensitive motion detector.
An indicator light flashes green with each movement. If the baby doesn’t move within a 15-second interval, the battery-powered device activates a pulsed vibration to stimulate the infant’s breathing. This technique, known as “cutaneous stimulation,” is used at hospital neonatal care units worldwide. If no further movement is sensed 5 seconds following the cutaneous stimulation, the device emits an audible alarm.
From the announcement:
“Many of the infant monitors currently on the market are large, complicated to set-up and have electrical cables or straps which babies may get tangled in,” explains Charlotte Wenham, a Registered Nurse and Business Manager for Pneo, makers of the Snuza Halo. “The Snuza is tiny yet extremely effective and poses no danger to the infant whatsoever.”
Press release: Technology Helps Protect Sleeping Infants – And Gives Parents Peace Of Mind
Product information: How Snuza Works…
