One thing to keep in mind is that a baby monitor is helpful to keep an eye on your child to a point. If you're seeking advice on choosing the best baby monitor to purchase, a pediatrician may offer some insight, but ultimately it will be up to you to decide what features you want your monitor to have. "There is no evidence that using a baby monitor decreases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome," warns Dr. Alexis Monique Javier, a pediatrician at Memorial Hermann in Houston.

As long as parents don't fully rely on the baby monitor to care for their child, Dr. Javier points out that there are a few things to consider when choosing one. "Keep in mind the range and distance and that it works," she says. Additionally, you want to decide what qualities are important to you since some monitors are portable or have a two-way walkie-talkie capability, night vision and other features.

Dr. Javier says some patients' parents with technologically advanced baby monitors have shown her video recordings of their babies climbing out of their cribs or doing other abnormal movements. "Having this information can be helpful at times, but I have not used it specifically to advise parents on how to improve their child’s sleep," she explains. So all the extra data may only be helpful to a point if your pediatrician can't guide you beyond that.

Dr. Javier believes parents should choose a baby monitor that works best for their lifestyle. Ideally, you'll want to choose a wireless device and if it has a cord, it should not be within reach of the baby. This can potentially result in choking or injury. "Keep in mind that the monitor can disrupt the parent's or caregiver's own sleep, so if this gets to be a problem, they should consider other options," she says. Another thing to keep in mind is to make sure you're selecting a baby monitor that has a secure connection because some videos or recordings can be compromised.