If you look around on the internet, it’s easy to find sources saying that radio waves or various other waves emitted from baby monitors will be harmful to your baby. Though each parent can research and make child safety decisions for themselves, at least for now, there’s no definitively proven link between exposure to baby monitor frequencies and adverse health effects.
Radiation and Your Baby’s Health
Over the years there have been several conflicting studies on potential health implications of radiation exposure from devices like cellphones. The World Health Organization (WHO) is undertaking a wide study of radiation impacts to see where the concerns should fall.1 For now, though, there’s not much conclusive data on baby monitors specifically, and the perks of these monitors often outweigh those worries.
For safety, many monitors use technologies that are similar to what is used in hospitals and NICUs, and several also take pains to address radiation concerns in FAQ sections. If you are still concerned about radiation levels, look for monitors that speak to those specific apprehensions.
Parents who are worried about signal exposure can limit the amount of time their child wears or is near the monitor—keeping an Owlet baby monitor on just at night or during naps, for instance, or turning off sound monitors when someone is in the room looking after the child.
Keeping Your Child Safe
Monitors that track your baby’s vital signs can help ease worries for many parents. The benefit of being able to track whether a child has stopped breathing is worth the investment. And luckily, parents can reduce any potential safety hazards by using the monitors or wearables wisely.
The website Baby Safety Zone, which is run by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), points out that cords from baby monitors can cause safety hazards if they are placed in precarious spots in a child’s bedroom.2 To minimize the risk of harm, the JPMA recommends keeping monitors well out of baby’s reach, paying attention to how a baby’s reach changes over time to adjust that distance as needed, and never placing a monitor inside or on the edge of a crib.
Finding the Best Monitor for Baby Safety
At SafeWise, we’re always committed to helping you make safe choices for yourself, your home, and your family. There are a number of great baby monitoring products on the market today, and many of them are thoroughly tested and extensively reviewed, to give you more peace of mind while your baby slumbers.
For more information on keeping your child safe at home and on the go, check out our Baby Monitors Buyers Guide.
- World Health Organization, “Electromagnetic Fields and Public Health”
- Baby Safety Zone, “Home and Nursery Planning”
