Doctors say smart health trackers for babies are unneeded

BBC – A group of pediatricians has called for smart health-trackers, designed to monitor babies while they sleep, to be regulated by the same US body that oversees other medical equipment.

The monitors, which often take the form of sensors fitted to clothing or nappies, measure signs such as heart rate and breathing during sleep.

The data is shared with a phone app.

The doctors spoke out after seeing babies being brought to A&E after smart-monitor false alarms.

The team from the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia said the devices should be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

One brand they mentioned was Owlet, which sells a $250 (£199) monitor that tracks sleeping babies’ heart rates and oxygen levels via a sensor concealed inside his or her sock.

It says on its website that it has already submitted a medical version to the FDA for approval.

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