Nothing is more of a life change than having a child. Newborns are delicate beings, and taking care of them can be stressful. For years, parents relied on books and advice to get through those first few years. It seems there are a million things to look out for, but sleep, movement, and breathing activity are all essential to keep a parent from worrying themselves to death. Luckily, many innovative ideas are starting to help ease this type of headache.

The baby monitor is one of the most common devices used by parents. It acts like a comfort blanket for the adult, providing the pleasure of seeing or hearing their child without having to check on them every 5 minutes. However, baby monitors are quite limited. Even recent twists on the 'baby walkie-talkie', which include cameras and smartphone control, do not act as a full security system for the child's health.

Sproutling, a startup founded by Apple and Google alums, aims to “bring the basic baby monitor into the 21st century”. The company designed the Sproutling Baby Monitor, a smart wearable that promises to take the anxiety out of nap time. Rather than watching your baby sleep, the device is a small rubber coated sensor (soft, hypoallergenic, and machine washable) worn around the child's ankle to monitor temperature, heart rate, and motion. It uses machine-learning technology to send parents a push notification via mobile app when they aren't able to be at full attention, such as while in the shower or during a nap.

A total of 16 measurements can be delivered in real time to the parent; including if the baby rolled over, a prediction of when the baby will wake up, the baby's mood upon waking, and brightness and noise levels in the room. The app learns the baby's sleeping and heart rate patterns in order to provide insight about mood and wake up times. Sproutling pairs with a charging dish placed in the same room as the child, and will relay statistics to the parent's smartphone. The charger itself acts as an environmental sensor for the room. If the ambient temperature and noise levels become disrupting, Sproutling will alert the parents wirelessly. Sproutling also contains a proximity sensor to alert parents if the device falls off the baby's ankle.



Sproutling gives control back to parents, despite the anxiety of tending to a new baby. Using modern wearable technology and data analysis, the device and corresponding app can provide guidance for the parent. Traditional monitors require constant attention. Parents admit almost never taking their eyes off the display. Sproutling's system lets the parents focus on other things while their child sleeps, and only alerts them when something is amiss. The product is aimed at newborns to two year-olds, and is available for pre-order at $249 starting Thursday. General sales are expected next year.