Does NICHD recommend the use of monitors to prevent SIDS?
Although some electronic home monitors detect and sound an alarm when a baby stops breathing, there is no evidence that such monitors prevent SIDS. The monitors also pose several disadvantages, including frequent false alarms, restricted mobility of both infant and parents, and the risk of electrical injury to young children. A panel of experts convened by the National Institutes of Health recommended that home monitors not be used for babies who do not have an increased risk of sudden unexpected death. However, the monitors may be recommended in some cases in which infants have experienced one or more severe episodes during which they stopped breathing and required resuscitation or stimulation, if the baby is premature and has symptomatic apnea, or if the baby has a medical condition such as central hypoventilation. If an incident has occurred or if an infant is on a monitor, parents need to know how to properly use and maintain the device, as well as how to resuscitate their baby if
