The Purpose

The purpose of the Owlet 2 Sock is for a Parent to have a sound mind.  Parents, especially when it’s your first time, want to make sure that their baby is safe and secure.  This device was invented around that.  It is made to track a baby’s heart rate, oxygen levels and alert a parent when either are low or at a dangerous level.  It has a clever tag that states, “Up all night so you don’t have to be.”  Sounds great to any parent.

The Features

• Tracks heart rate
• Tracks oxygen level
• Wireless up to 1,000 ft
• Rechargeable battery
• Access to live readings

Included in the Box:

Rechargeable Battery

Oximetry Device for Pulse

Base Station

Smart Sock

The Whole Picture

My Professional Perspective

As a Developmental Specialist, I had to take the child’s benefit into consideration.  A child’s brain is developing throughout early childhood.  By age five, a child’s brain will be 90% developed.  The first trimester is the most crucial time for a baby, which is why it is so important to take care of oneself in early pregnancy.   My husband purchased this item for our third baby, hoping it would be a good product and investment.  As I looked more into it, I found that it is very widely used, despite it’s hefty price. I had to make sure that this device would not affect the development of my baby, so I began my investigation.

EMF Academy

According to The Who (World Health Organization), electromagnetic frequency waves are dangerous.  There are two different levels, (High Frequency), which includes gamma rays and x-rays.  The second is the (Short Frequency) cell phones and Wifi.  Both are said to be able to cause Cancerous cells and DNA to be affected, if exposed frequently.  I looked into exactly how many EMF waves were released by this device and found that they are on the lower frequency range.  The same as a cell phone or Wifi.  The important part to consider is that as a Mother and as a Developmental Specialist, I would discourage families from having their devices close to their babies.  This included Wifi routers, boosters, cell phones, chargers, etc.

In today’s day it is impossible to prevent being around these EMF’s, but it is possible to restrict the proximity of them.

EMF Radiation Symptoms

• sleep disturbances, including insomnia.
• headache.
• depression.
• tiredness and fatigue.
• dysesthesia (a painful, often itchy sensation)
• lack of concentration.
• changes in memory.
• dizziness.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to really see whether a baby is experiencing these symptoms at such a young age.  Since there is a possibility that the EMF waves could affect the brain development, it isn’t looking to good for the Owlet Sock.

Dr. David Carpenter, the director for the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University of Albany said,“Any exposure to radiofrequency radiation from a newborn baby is very dangerous. Exposure to radiofrequency radiation falls off with distance. The farther an RF-energy-emitting device, such as your cell phone, is from your body, the better. But if you put a monitor right on babies, they’re going to get the full whammy of whatever intensity of radiofrequency radiation is used.”

I agree with Dr. Carpenter that having a device directly on a baby’s body for the entire night, is raising the risk of serious and inevitable damage.

Necessity

I understand and advocate for the prevention of S.I.D.S Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.  This is one of the selling points for this product, but it is very vague.  The company does not claim to have proof or evidence that it can actually prevent S.I.D.S.  It also states that it is not intended to act as a medical device (on the box disclaimer).  It states on the box that the parent is ultimately responsible for the wellbeing of the baby, not the device.  So, if this device can’t actually prevent S.I.D.S. and is Not a medical device, what is it actually delivering?

After working with families, most babies are kept in a NICU until they are cleared by a Pediatrician to be discharged because to be cared for by the parent.  I understand the fear of S.I.D.S. and wanting to have a sound mind, especially if a parent has experienced the trauma of a sick baby that has been hospitalized.  It is a very difficult subject. I simply believe that a hospital would supply a family with the medical equipment necessary to monitor a baby that needs to be monitored. I do not feel that a healthy baby needs this device for monitoring.

A Mother’s Ear

One of the benefits to becoming a parent is that a Mother will develop a Mother’s ear.  This occurs after giving birth.  A Mother will find that she will never again sleep deeply, despite how tired she may be.  A Mother’s brain is designed to listen for the cry of their child and to want to tend to that child, immediately.  Because of this innate factor, I encourage any parent that is considering this device, to rely on their hospital to deliver medical equipment that has a “guarantee”, unlike the Owlet.  Medical equipment comes with a guarantee that promises that if anything becomes unreliable for any reason, there can be a replacement at no charge. You will NOT get this guarantee with the Owlet Sock.  It is simply because it is not reliable or accurate.

I found that Dr. Chris Bonafide of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia who was placed on a study of the Owlet Sock, stated, “There is no evidence that these monitors prevent SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). And the issues with accuracy . . . make me concerned that they could not just be unhelpful but that they could also create problems.”  As a Mother, I absolutely agree!  I believe this would cause more anxiety than anything else!  Imagine having a device that is constantly going off in the middle of the night, placing parents in a panic – Repeatedly!  There were studies that found the Owlet Sock to have inaccurate readings to hospital medical equipment.  In this same study, “the Owlet device missed 9 occasions in which the baby’s oxygen saturation was alarmingly low, accurately caught low oxygen saturation 71 times and falsely sounded the alarm 26 times.”

Have I Used This Device on My Baby?

If you guessed, “no”, you are correct.  I would not recommend it to any family, despite the need for a sound mind or monitoring a sick baby, let alone using it on a healthy baby.  Please, do not feel anxiety if you have used this device.  I do not want to send anyone into a panic, I am simply trying to encourage families everywhere to prevent possible radiation exposure to a developing baby.  It’s a very convincing product because it pulls on the heart strings of a parent, but in the end, I have to give this device a thumbs down for safety and accuracy.  Babies are resilient and I have witnessed this firsthand, but if you haven’t purchased this device yet, at least take into consideration that your main concern is the safety of your baby and the “wellbeing” that the Owlet Sock promises, is simply not guaranteed. As a Mother, if it’s not in writing, it’s not worth the risk.

So What Do I Recommend?

Whether you have a healthy baby or a NICU baby, I would recommend using a bedside bassinet sleeper

or a baby co-sleeper in the middle of the bed.

By having your baby close, any parent can check on their baby at any time, without having to get up out of bed.  Your baby will feel secure and so will you.  Save your money and instead, invest your time and love.

 

SOURCE: bit.ly/2BwWqcR JAMA, online August 21, 2018.