Ward, Feb.6

My interview with the Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at GRU, Dr. Caroline DiBattisto


Do you think that technologies such as the newest baby monitors and the baby onesie that keep track of a baby's heart rate and blood pressure are useful? In what ways?
Yes, i have a video baby monitor myself. Its helpful in letting you know when you need to put the baby's pacifier back in.
I'm not a parent, so please enlighten me, whats the difference between the old baby monitors and the new ones?
With the old monitors all you had was sound, with the video you can actually see what the baby is doing.
How do you feel about the baby onesie that allows a parent to monitor the baby's heart rate etc.?
It would be able to alert a parent if the baby stops breathing which useful.
Is there anything else you would like to add about either device?
No matter what, a parent should still check on their baby.
Would you recommend that parents let their children use Ipads, tablets etc. for educational purposes?
In moderation, those tools can be useful. But, children tend to overuse. The American Academy of pediatrics concluded that the average child has 7hrs of screen exposure a day. It is recommended that a child only has 1-2hrs of screen exposure a day. Its also recommended that children under 2 shouldnt have any expose to tv. Children 3 and under tend to learn by manipulating things, picking up things, reaarranging them, not by watching. Although technology has its place, it is still recommended that children set aside plenty of time to play outdoors, draw and play games such as make-believe.
What do you think about the technology available for parents that makes it easier to keep track of their teenagers, such as applications on smartphones that can monitor how far a vehichle was driven and also how many people were in the vehichle?
Wow, I hadn't heard of that. I belive that would be each parents personal choice to utilize a product like that. It's all about knowing your child. But I do think that parents should become more tech-savy to monitor what their children are doing online. Cyber-bullying is a huge problem that parents should get involved in
Are traditional means of parenting more favored/practical?
Technology is here to stay. We just have to use it responsibly and in moderation.
Are there any negative aspects to any of these products? I know you said a child should only have 1-2 hrs of screen exposure, what happens if they exceed that?
Childhood obesity is linked to too much screen exposure. The child becomes sedentary. Also, a change in the child's attention span. Usually, the child is looking at high-paced, fast action if its on a screen, which contrast greatly with the calm feeling of reading a book, hence children are reading less.
You made several great points during this interview, is there anything else you would like to add?
No
Ok, thankyou for your time.