About 250 babies are born every minute worldwide. Many of these newborns go home with first-time parents, such as the more than 75,000 women in the Netherlands who became mothers for the first time in 2023, according to Statistics Netherlands.

Once home, parents face the familiar challenges, including sleep schedules, feeding, and keeping a small, unpredictable human safe. It’s no surprise they turn to technology. Baby gear now spans heaters, sterilizers, monitors, heart-rate trackers, and smart toys, often adding up to thousands of dollars. But choosing between them is difficult. Which devices are actually useful? Which are safe? And what should parents pay attention to before buying?

What parents say goes wrong

Common frustrations are surprisingly consistent. Some devices lack English translations. Some offer poor video quality despite high prices. Warranties can expire just in time for devices to fail. Battery-powered tools sometimes require screwdrivers at 3 or 4 am, not ideal during a feeding. Many products also hide essential features behind extra subscriptions. And in some cases, promising ideas are let down by weak design or quality control.

Because of this, parents emphasize checking customer support, warranty periods, and what failures are covered. Safety certifications matter, as does understanding how a device is powered. Many baby products cannot be used while charging, so a backup plan is critical.

Design also plays a major role. Devices need to assemble and clean easily, especially if grandparents will use them. Parts should be replaceable. And parents should check whether the device requires additional apps, subscriptions, or upgrades to function as advertised. Above all, it must suit the specific needs of the child as what works for one baby may not work for another.

What science says and what it doesn’t

Not every baby product is supported by robust scientific research, but a handful have been studied.

A 2017 study on the Owlet Smart Sock Monitor examined usage in 47,495 newborns over roughly six months, most from first-time parents. Ninety-four percent of parents reported improved sleep quality.

More recently, researchers developed a voice-activated smart crib aimed at parents with limited upper-limb mobility, integrating real-time temperature and weight monitoring.

In 2023, a study of 257 Japanese mothers with infants aged 6 to 11 months found that smart devices could reduce parenting anxiety. And a 2024 study reported that parents were more engaged when using AI-assisted tools—but also highlighted the need for user-friendly and culturally sensitive designs.

Still, many products reach the market long before researchers can study them. Consultation with pediatricians remains essential.

A baby’s greatest need is presence, not technology

Dr. Helen Ball, professor of anthropology and director of the Durham Infant and Sleep Centre, offers a simple reminder: for the first few months, infants rely primarily on physical contact and proximity. “I would therefore encourage parents to keep their baby close and monitor their baby directly using their own senses. And to comfort their baby physically. I would suggest that parents consider whether they need to spend money on technological monitoring or soothing devices at this time,” Ball told Interesting Engineering.

She notes that after six months, when it becomes safer to leave babies unattended in a room, some remote monitoring devices may be helpful. But even then, parents should understand how certain practices can backfire. For example, darkened daytime nap rooms can cause circadian disruption. Allowing babies to nap in daylight and normal household noise helps maintain healthy sleep pressure toward nighttime.

When technology helps and when it can be a problem

Parents frequently complain about devices that don’t warm milk fast enough, require awkward battery changes, or use vibrating surfaces that babies find irritating. Ball agrees that vibrating sleep devices are not ideal and warns against getting babies accustomed to them.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants sleep on a firm, flat surface that meets safety standards. Rocking devices, swings, car seats, and bouncers can be used briefly while the baby is awake and supervised, but should never replace a proper sleep environment.

Heart-rate and oxygen-saturation monitors can be reassuring, Ball says, but they can also increase anxiety and pull parents’ attention toward screens instead of their babies.

AI steps in

Artificial intelligence is now entering baby care, offering new ways to monitor safety and development. But as Professor Sarah Ostadabbas of Northeastern University explains, many technologies overlook ease of use, affordability, and inclusivity.

Her team developed AiWover, an AI-driven, non-contact monitoring platform designed to address these gaps. Unlike traditional devices, AiWover integrates with any camera to track movement, detect hazards, and monitor developmental milestones, whether at home or in daycare. The goal: improving safety and enabling earlier interventions while supporting caregivers with diverse needs.

According to Ostadabbas, AI should not replace human caregiving but enhance it—providing an additional layer of support when parents are present and when they are not.

The most important tool is free of charge

Ball notes that the baby-product market is lucrative, and many devices create a “perceived need” that disappears upon closer thought, especially since many products are used for only a few months. “I would caution against purchasing lots of technological devices that will clutter up your home and end up in a landfill a few months later. The key thing is to remember that all your baby wants and needs during the first year of life, is you,” Ball concluded.

Technology will continue to shape parenting, from sleep tracking to safety monitoring. But even amid rapid innovation, one truth remains unchanged: devices may offer reassurance, but they cannot replace parental instinct, contact, and attention, and those remain the most reliable tools of all.