A baby monitor, also known as a baby alarm, is a radio system used to remotely listen to sounds made by an infant. An audio monitor consists of a transmitter unit, equipped with a microphone, placed near to the child. It transmits the sounds by radio waves to a receiver unit with a speaker carried by, or near to, the person caring for the infant. Some baby monitors provide two-way communication which allows the caregiver to speak back to the baby (parent talk-back). Some allow music to be played to the child. A monitor with a video camera and receiver is often called a baby cam. One of the primary uses of baby monitors is to allow attendants to hear when an infant wakes, while out of immediate hearing distance of the infant. Although commonly used, there is no evidence that these monitors prevent SIDS, and many doctors believe they provide a false sense of security. Infants and young children can often be heard over a baby monitor in crib talk, in which they talk to themselves. This is a normal part of practicing their language skills.   Some baby monitors also use a video camera to show pictures on the receiver, either by plugging the receiver into a television or by including a portable LCD screen. This type of surveillance camera is often called a baby cam. Some baby cams can work at night with low light levels. Most video baby monitors today have a night vision feature. Infrared LEDs attached on the front of the camera allow a user to see the baby in a dark room. Video baby monitors that have night vision mode will switch to this mode automatically in the dark. Baby monitors continue to evolve and now also can utilize features such as night lights and built-in lullabies. These are not available in all monitors. Some include temperature and movement monitoring devices to sit underneath a mattress or close to the baby within a cot.  

 

I am an absolute fan of using baby monitors. I have a 7 year old and a 1 year old. The one year old it`s obvious why I need the camera, but my 7 year old, well she likes to try and be sneaky so to cut that down a bit she has a camera too! The BabyVue Full Color Video Baby Monitor I can honestly say is a quality camera with a lot of neat features. The view that comes from the camera is clear. It works both day and night still giving a clear image. I like that it has a decent range (800 feet away). It works well enough from my bedroom to my sons bedroom across the house. This particular monitor setup allows you to not only monitor and hear sounds, but talk back as well with the mic option. Another cool feature is being able to see the temperature in C or F of the room that the camera is in. This is definitely helpful with infants to make sure they don`t get too hot or cold in the room!   I`m a fan of having the option to use the power plug or let it run on the battery. The battery has a pretty good life, but to make sure I don`t have to worry about it going out while we`re sleeping I prefer to keep it plugged in - but the option is always nice. While using it I noticed the camera didn`t cut in and out like it lost signal as some cameras tend to do. This is another huge plus for me. Another thing I love about this particular monitor is the 8 Remote Control that includes Lullabies to calm baby, a Feeding Alarm, and Multiple language support.    Overall this is a great quality camera with many features. It`s easy to use and figure out on your own, but also includes an instruction manual for those who would like it.