There are times when a woman is expecting a baby when a monitor is necessary
. This can be done by attaching a band with a monitoring device to the mom's belly. While the mom lays flat the baby's rate is measured through ultra sound technology. The pulse can also be measured this way. There are several times when it will be used on baby before baby is even born. If moms labor is long or the progress has slowed down than the monitor will be used to make sure baby is stressed out and to make sure the rate is within the normal range. It may also be used if mom becomes sick during her pregnancy to make sure baby does not become over stressed because of the illness.
It is quite abnormal for a baby to be hooked up to one unless that baby is afflicted with some sort of illness. If they are, then it will be constantly used.
It will monitor a baby's heart beat, if they are ill even if the sickness has nothing to do with their heart to make sure that their tiny hearts are not affected by the medications and the underlying illness.
Some babies suffer from sleep apnea; it will be able to detect if the baby's heart beat slows down. If it detects a change in the baby's heart beat an alarm will sound. In cases that are very severe the baby heart beat monitor will send a signal to the hospital that it has detected a change in the baby's heart beat so that emergency personnel can be on standby if the caregiver does not call in right away.
These things are technological miracles and they help save the lives of tons of babies every day, letting them grow up to be normal, functioning adults.
If you have a child with heart problems, then you will definitely need to get them a baby heart monitor.