Using the Infant Oxygen Monitor: Preventing the Events of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

An Infant Oxygen Monitor is a modern device that helps to ascertain the signs and symptoms of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and to hopefully avoid the occurrence of this circumstance.

SIDS, sometime called “crib death”, is a disorder indicated by an abrupt and unexpected death of a healthy infant (usually 2-week old infants). The death persists to be mysterious even after a detailed autopsy, a thorough medical history analysis, and death scene scrutiny. Most infants who experience SIDS are found dead after being put to sleep, and thus, show no clear signs of suffering. SIDS is a global phenomenon which makes every infant arbitrarily susceptible.

Although the exact cause of SIDS is purely unexplained to date, medical experts insinuated that infants who suffer from drastic skin color changes, muscle faintness, sleep apnea and/or difficulty in breathing are most likely vulnerable to this syndrome.

Up to now, many systems are being proposed to combat, or to some extent, prevent this incidence. Many people suppose that if parents or caretakers are informed and warned that the infant is enduring respiratory problems, they can act on it before the condition worsens and things become too late. In lieu with this, different alarm systems are made to warn caretakers that an infant has stopped breathing or his heart rate has slowed down. These alarm systems are also available for home usage. An electrode is attached to the skin of the baby, and gives out an audible alarm when the aforementioned circumstances occur.

However, one of these systems, which gained popularity during the late 1970’s, required an external monitor connected to the electrode by wires. These wires, apparently, could imperil the infant, not to mention the false warnings it might give once the wires are accidentally detached from the child’s skin. If the false alarms are increased, it is possible for the caretakers to be complacent, thinking that all the alarms are false, and, sadly, to decrease the level of their vigilance.

Another device created for the same purpose was also developed. This device uses a pulse oximeter to monitor the pulse rate and the blood oxygenation. This device is attached to a translucent body part, preferably on the fingertip or earlobe, in order to keep an eye on the infant’s hypoxemia (low blood oxygen) tendencies; therefore, it gives warning of SIDS event. Similarly, the drawback of this device is its sensitivity to motion and the hazards that the wires might cause.

To answer this, another technology is proposed. This time, it’s a combination of a pulse oxygen monitor, motion detector and a video camera. Although this model could reduce the number of false alarms, ordinary households might not be able to avail the product due to its costly nature.

Another type of oxygen monitor is once again developed. It is a pulse oximeter ― battery-powered and sensor-enabled. This device does not need cables or wires; thus mitigating the snags of connecting cables and connection failure. It simply employs a small transmitting unit which uses low power radio waves to transfer the data to the monitoring unit. A parent or a guardian can simply put the device on the infant’s fingertip (some products on the forehead or heel), and watch over the monitor to see the oxygenation of the child. The result of this infant oxygen monitor is expressed in percentage. The normal blood oxygen saturation of a new born infant is 86-92%. Any measure below this is dangerous.

Note that various oximeter products on the market are sold according to the infant’s weight. Parents or caretakers should purchase the oximeter that corresponds to the infant’s weight and where the baby is most comfortable with.

Oxygen monitors can be used anytime. A caretaker can even use it all day long as long as batteries are being checked every once in a while to see if it still can sustain the monitoring for the next hours or so.