Tech for babies? It exists, and here are some of the latest products

By Daniel Rothberg

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015 | 2 a.m.

In two upcoming conventions in Las Vegas, technology companies will display products aimed at a consumer sector that is growing in more ways than one.

The market? Babies. Or, more accurately, parents who want their newborns to have the very latest in consumer products.

Lauren Greene, deputy editor of The Bump, a pregnancy and parenting publication, says companies are increasingly focusing their attention on incorporating technology in products for newborns, pitching parents on everything from convenience to an investment in their children's long-term health.

“It’s a huge trend right now,” Greene said in a phone interview last week.

The newest tech products for infants will be spotlighted at the ABC Kids Expo, a conference featuring parenting gear, this week at the Las Vegas Convention Center. And in January, the items will get an even bigger stage when they're showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show, the world's largest tech merchandise show in the world.

Of course, the new products come at a high price and children have for years been raised without this technology. But if the explosion of high-tech gear shows anything, it’s that parents can be easily sold when it comes to the health and welfare of their kids.

With the ABC show approaching, Greene spoke to the Sun about some of the more cutting-edge products for babies. Among them:

4moms Origami Stroller, $849

“This is the ultimate techie-stroller,” Greene says. It has a power-folding function that folds the stroller with the click of a button. The high-end, high-tech stroller also reuses kinetic energy from its wheels to generate electricity that can be used to charge a cellphone or power the stroller's LCD dashboard, which includes a speedometer and odometer.

Pacif-i, $39

This pacifier from Blue Maestro, a firm that links health care products to mobile devices, does not just pacify. It also measures an infant's temperature and uses bluetooth to transmit the information to a mobile application, software that then uses a phone's GPS to track the pacifier's last location so it’s never lost.

iBaby Monitor M6, $199

Creeping into Big Brother's turf, the iBaby Monitor allows for complete 24/7 surveillance of an infant. With a high-definition camera, parents can watch their children at any time of the day. The nursery monitor also allows parents to record their voice — a lullaby or a bedtime story — for playback to their infant even when they are not around. And of course, there are notifications. The monitor promises to send parents photos and video clips when it senses motion.

Hatch Baby Smart Changing Pad, $199

This device offers parents the ability to track a number of variables — weight, eating, sleep, even wet and dirty diaper changes — all while accomplishing the often unpleasant act of changing a baby’s diaper. Particularly anxious parents can compare their baby’s weights to data from the World Health Organization. As might be expected, there's also a mobile app for iPhones and Androids that provide notifications and alerts, such as “Eliza just ate 2.75 ounces.”

Mimo, $199

Called a “kimono” on its website, this wearable sensor is more of a onesie with respiration sensors attached to it. Don’t worry: Mimo’s quick to note that the sensors never touch a baby’s skin. Instead, they rest on the shirt's "soft cotton" as they monitor breathing, body position and skin temperature during sleep. Mimo then streams that data to smartphones in real time, providing notification when a child wakes up or when his or her vitals change during sleep.