There's a new gadget heading for the baby products market, aimed straight at notoriously anxious first-time parents.
The claim? A souped-up onesie monitors your infant's vitals and activity state – and alerts you when something isn't right.
Biosensors in the Exmobaby baby pajama monitor baby's heartbeat, skin temperature and movement. Over time, the included software can "learn" to predict likely causes of future alerts. Parents can even set up text message or email alerts with real-time stats on their little bundle of joy.
The mood ring-esque tech, currently in testing and sized for wee ones ages 0-12 months, could help reduce the rates of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and accidents while offering peace of mind to new parents, the Exmobaby site claims.
But not everyone thinks the baby gear is a brilliant brainchild.
Dr. Robert Marion, chief of genetics and developmental medicine at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore, told The New York Times that he thought the high-tech onesie looked "crazy," adding that malfunctions could cause parents needless worry.
And the website's claim – "No extra or constant monitoring by parents, caregivers or relatives is needed. The Exmobaby product line does all the work" – could have tech-happy parents relying too heavily on a computer program, and not enough on personal contact.
Did we mention it'll set you back at least $1,000? That's for the standard eval kit. It's currently being marketed toward pediatricians, nonprofits and the like – not consumers (not yet, anyway).
Still, a wearable baby monitor that takes some of the pressure off new parents could come in handy.
Gadget authority Gizmodo.com sums it up: "Who in their right mind would want to interact with babies? They're dumb, they leak, they smell (on account of the leakage), and for all that noise, babies can't even give you a hint as to what set them off. But the new Exmobaby sensor suit just might."