Washington - Pampers is the latest company to jump into trendy, wearable devices with a new "connected care system" called Lumi that tracks babies' activity through a sensor that attaches to nappies.
The sensor sends an alert to an app notification when a nappy is wet. It also sends information on the baby's sleep and wake times and allows parents to manually track additional info, like dirty nappies and feeding times.
A video monitor is included with the system and is integrated into the app. Pampers didn't say how much the system, which is launching in the US this year, will cost.
The announcement from Pampers, which is part of Procter & Gamble, is a sign of the growth in the "baby tech" industry.
The Internet of things, or IoT, has invaded homes, promising to make routines and tasks more efficient. Companies have launched connected bassinets, smart night lights and pacifiers, bottles that track feedings and even apps to replicate the sound of a parent saying, "Shush." Research and Market report predicts the interactive baby monitor market alone will reach more than $2.5-billion by 2024.
But with the increase in "smart" options for babies and younger children, too, parents must make decisions about how much tech to use as they seek to raise them in an increasingly connected world.
"Even an infant or a toddler deserves a little privacy," said Julie Lythcott-Haims, author of bestselling book How to Raise an Adult.
From smart nappies to social media, today's parents are grappling with an ever-expanding crop of privacy concerns triggered by widespread connectivity of devices.
Posting photos, tracking their development in an app or even searching for information on their health conditions can help big tech develop digital profiles that could follow those children for the rest of their lives.