Preorders kick off for Sproutling, a 'Nest' for your child's nursery
Invented by former Apple and Google employees, with the aid of pediatric specialists and Ph.D scientists, Sproutling is the first baby monitor to sense, learn, and predict a baby's behavior, and its creators believe it will make the lives of new parents less stressful.
In the past, baby monitors have been decidedly low-tech, with the best of them being cameras with cloud apps to allow you to remotely view the child on your iPhone' screen. Being the parent of a newborn is really stressful, with not knowing what to expect, worries about the child rolling over, sleeping on its chest, or SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
Instead of being solely a device you place on a nighttable in the room, Sproutling is a wearable band and separate environmental sensor. The sensor bowl doubles as the charger for the wearable band.
In the past, there really was no great insight into what to do to help the child sleep better or have a better mood during the day. Sproutling claims to change everything, claiming that the product will help parents understand the optimal bedtime for a child, when they'll wake, and what mood they'll be in, "before you even enter the room."
The company also suggests that by having this level of information, parents won't have to completely change their lives, but can instead integrate babies into their existing lives.
The actual data Sproutling gathers includes:
The app can be shared with babysitters, family members, and caregivers, and parents can keep an eye on things when they aren't home. Being a new parent is stressful, and many new parents don't go out because leaving the newborn at home is scary, even with a babysittter.
The preorders for Sproutling launched today at Sproutling.com. The baby monitor will retail for $299, while early birds can buy in for $249. Shipments are expected to begin in early 2015.
In the past, baby monitors have been decidedly low-tech, with the best of them being cameras with cloud apps to allow you to remotely view the child on your iPhone' screen. Being the parent of a newborn is really stressful, with not knowing what to expect, worries about the child rolling over, sleeping on its chest, or SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
Instead of being solely a device you place on a nighttable in the room, Sproutling is a wearable band and separate environmental sensor. The sensor bowl doubles as the charger for the wearable band.
In the past, there really was no great insight into what to do to help the child sleep better or have a better mood during the day. Sproutling claims to change everything, claiming that the product will help parents understand the optimal bedtime for a child, when they'll wake, and what mood they'll be in, "before you even enter the room."
The company also suggests that by having this level of information, parents won't have to completely change their lives, but can instead integrate babies into their existing lives.
The actual data Sproutling gathers includes:
- Is baby's heart rate higher or lower than usual?
- When is the baby most likely to wake?
- Whether the baby is sleeping on back or chest.
- If the baby is calm or fussy/angry when she wakes.
- If it's too bright or loud in the room for the baby to sleep comfortably.
- If it's warmer or cooler than the baby's ideal temperature.
The app can be shared with babysitters, family members, and caregivers, and parents can keep an eye on things when they aren't home. Being a new parent is stressful, and many new parents don't go out because leaving the newborn at home is scary, even with a babysittter.
The preorders for Sproutling launched today at Sproutling.com. The baby monitor will retail for $299, while early birds can buy in for $249. Shipments are expected to begin in early 2015.
Comments
Interesting idea- I like it. But are we reinventing the wheel? Lets discuss
Great information here. With congenital heart disease being the most common birth defect in the world- where some states are just now requiring heart monitors on baby's for the APGAR test- this is huge.
This is great too- and a benefit for those who don't track sleep.
Good info- a monitor would show it, but this UI seems easier to decipher than a fuzzy screen with night vision- although every time one of my kids rolled over it gave me a red alert- that'd be slightly annoying.
If you need a monitor for this- you're an idiot. Of course- if you're a deaf parent, I could see how this could be useful.
Meh- you should know. Now- if this is adaptable and learnable (some kids are light sleepers, some aren't)- this would be pretty cool
You should be able to tell easily, but I guess it's a good safeguard. Particularly during teething on why they might be fussy.
All in all- I like it. Helicopter moms will faun. First time parents will swoon. 2nd time parents won't care.
Side note: That commercial is great. 1:13 is hilarious.
It looks too much like a criminal's ankle monitor. I'm also not sure how useful this information will all be, or if it will just give paranoid parents a new way to constantly monitor and be overly paranoid. Like Andysol said, you'd expect parents to be able to figure out most of this on their own anyway. As for congenital heart disease, how much of it can be found based on heart rate? I doubt this monitor can track heart sounds.
I will be a first time parent in about 6 weeks and I have no interest in this product. There are some good things, but it's too much.
I say we just surgically insert trackers, monitors and tattoo bar scans on the back of the heads of every new born. Bring on the whole Apocalypse now instead of beating around the bush with slowly getting society used to this kind of technology. Did I just say that aloud.
I'd be interested in how it actually works. You know, connects to a server on the Internet or direct, or when the baby is at the grandparents' or baby-sitter's house and you are on date night, how do you log in? How does it get through the firewall, privacy, etc. Everyone always wants it to just work. I just want to know how.
Congratulations! Get your sleep now- when that kid hits 2-3 weeks- that's when the "fun" starts.
Congratulations! Get your sleep now- when that kid hits 2-3 weeks- that's when the "fun" starts.
Yeah, from what I hear, if you're really lucky, you won't get sleep for another 18 months. If you're not so lucky, you won't get sleep for another 18 years.
I've got a 3 year old and I can honestly say that I don't wish I had this and if I have another one, I would not want this.
Yeah, from what I hear, if you're really lucky, you won't get sleep for another 18 months. If you're not so lucky, you won't get sleep for another 18 years.
I like that, well said. I'll add this - if you get lucky on the first kid and he/she sleeps through the night right away - just know that the 2nd kid won't be as easy. I speak from personal experience :-)
Congrats, btw.
I've totally done babies and will never go back but had this been around some 14 years ago I would have bought one, no question.
I am sorry another device which added to the stupification of America. Really you need something to tell you what your baby is doing or about to do. They only do few things, They are usually a wake, eating, sleeping or go to the bathroom and it not this then they are sick and you need to deal with that immediately.
You know humans have been having kids for 1000's of years and they have done fine without things like this. You know if you just pay attention to your kids you know what they are up to.
You know how this going to work, when they are hungry, a google ads will show up promoting some new baby food, when they crap they will send ads to you which diapers you should buy.
I love this feature
Really why is this an issue, I grew up living next to two Steel Mills and railroad yard that ran 24/7. I learn to sleep through anything. It is blessing to be able to sleep when it is light or dark or when it is loud.
This Feature will drive parents nuts
There are all these opinion on which is best for your kids, and they say on the chest causing things like SIDs, there is not proof that this happens, Can not provide it one way or the other. My son sleep on his chest and my daughter on her back and they both sleep this way from day one. The wife use to worry about my son and flipped him over which only pissed him off and made him a fussy baby until she stop doing it.
I like that, well said. I'll add this - if you get lucky on the first kid and he/she sleeps through the night right away - just know that the 2nd kid won't be as easy. I speak from personal experience :-)
Congrats, btw.
I second that. Also from personal experience.
This product is going to do really well, not because it's needed but because new parents are nuts. I have twins and was super-involved from birth on... so so don't write me off as the do-nothing Dad. My girls established a pattern quickly and have *never* had sleeping issues because we researched extensively and were on this from the day they came home.
- So... what will you do with this data? A Dr's nightmare as they get calls 10 times a day.
- When you wake them. Start a proper sleeping pattern by being the boss and not allowing "free sleeping". Essential for twins.
- Perhaps the only one with any merit due to the suspected correlation of tummy sleeping with SIDS. Notwithstanding, most Dr.'s still say not to sweat it and let the child sleep.
- ... so you can arrange your life around the baby, the article suggests. Babies are portable and will do what you want. We never rearranged anything for the girls. Not to mention, the odds of it being right are pretty low.
- If the shades are closed (you installed shades, right?) and the light is down (switch? Dimmer?) how can this need adjustment? Let them learn to sleep in loud places.
- Really? Paranoid parent. Let them learn to sleep in a variety of conditions and they'll sleep better.
* On one hand, having a baby's movement, heart rate and temperature continuously monitored would be great. Those are the things I checked on every four hours. Watching them more closely, especially temperature spikes in immuno-compromised children, would be quite helpful. This'd also be much cheaper than the standard heart and respiration monitors that hospitals use.
* On the other hand, this isn't a situation where parents of healthy kids simply need rest and sleep. These are very sick kids who need someone coming into their room often, looking for something that isn't right. A monitor like this means some nursing staff might sit around when they should be moving around. Not good.
My opinion on a model for hospitals? Have it, but use it selectively and with care. I know when I worked with children who had leukemia, I'd have been happy to get alerts for:
1. Kids who'd kicked off their blankets and were too cold.
2. Kids spiking temperatures. That Q4 check wasn't often enough. Sometimes I could spot a fever by behavior. Sometimes not.
3. A baby or small child without parents waking up and needing attention. Not need for them to cry.
It's also a great idea for parents with older kids who have major medical issues or disabilities. For those, there needs to be a model with a larger band that can't be pulled off.
--Michael W. Perry, My Nights with Leukemia: Caring for Children with Cancer
Badass? Feck off.
This product is going to do really well, not because it's needed but because new parents are nuts. I have twins and was super-involved from birth on... so so don't write me off as the do-nothing Dad. My girls established a pattern quickly and have *never* had sleeping issues because we researched extensively and were on this from the day they came home.
- So... what will you do with this data? A Dr's nightmare as they get calls 10 times a day.
- When you wake them. Start a proper sleeping pattern by being the boss and not allowing "free sleeping". Essential for twins.
- Perhaps the only one with any merit due to the suspected correlation of tummy sleeping with SIDS. Notwithstanding, most Dr.'s still say not to sweat it and let the child sleep.
- ... so you can arrange your life around the baby, the article suggests. Babies are portable and will do what you want. We never rearranged anything for the girls. Not to mention, the odds of it being right are pretty low.
- If the shades are closed (you installed shades, right?) and the light is down (switch? Dimmer?) how can this need adjustment? Let them learn to sleep in loud places.
- Really? Paranoid parent. Let them learn to sleep in a variety of conditions and they'll sleep better.
The key here is kids will do what you want unless let them do what they want. We took our kids ever where and never had an issue, the learn to adapted and are well balance and easy going today.
As some one said parents are nuts, and they read too much. We raised our kids without our parent close by, however, we were lucky to have friend who was older and have a number of her own kids as well as grand kids and she use to yell at us for being nuts and straighten us out quickly.
All this device will do is give parents too much information which they do not know what to do with and know if it is important or not.
You know humans have been having kids for 1000's of years and they have done fine without things like this.
It may be a stupid product (or not - I'm not sure) but this is without a doubt the stupidest argument. Infant mortality rates before the last century were astronomical - in many places even in North America they were still very high before World War II. Innovation is the ONLY reason things are "fine" now.
This product is going to do really well, not because it's needed but because new parents are nuts. I have twins and was super-involved from birth on... so so don't write me off as the do-nothing Dad. My girls established a pattern quickly and have *never* had sleeping issues because we researched extensively and were on this from the day they came home.
- So... what will you do with this data? A Dr's nightmare as they get calls 10 times a day.
- When you wake them. Start a proper sleeping pattern by being the boss and not allowing "free sleeping". Essential for twins.
- Perhaps the only one with any merit due to the suspected correlation of tummy sleeping with SIDS. Notwithstanding, most Dr.'s still say not to sweat it and let the child sleep.
- ... so you can arrange your life around the baby, the article suggests. Babies are portable and will do what you want. We never rearranged anything for the girls. Not to mention, the odds of it being right are pretty low.
- If the shades are closed (you installed shades, right?) and the light is down (switch? Dimmer?) how can this need adjustment? Let them learn to sleep in loud places.
- Really? Paranoid parent. Let them learn to sleep in a variety of conditions and they'll sleep better.
[citations needed]