2014 has been the year of wearable technology, starting with the CES Show in Las Vegas in January which showcased the latest innovations in wearable tech from smart watches to bracelets and actual apparel that contains sensors. Many proponents say that wearable technology is the new hardware to harness data from the human body but there are non-advocates that state that new wearable tech has to have features that smart phones do not currently provide.

Even Apple is finally hopping on the wearable technology train. “There’s no doubt that Apple is sniffing around this area,” says Ted Driscoll, a Silicon Valley-based partner at Claremont Creek Ventures, which specializes in digital health and medical devices. He says Apple seems primarily focused on recruiting engineers with experience in “monitoring the body’s perimeters.”

Fitness and medical wearables aside, a lot of wearable innovation is geared towards monitoring children’s health and activity levels. Here are some ingenious ways it is being used at the moment:

• The Smart Onesie – The Mimo Baby Monitor makes baby blankets and clothes that can track a baby’s respiration, cooing and body temperature. It syncs with the Mimo app that enables parents to see their baby’s data in real-time including sleep analytics and major changes in the baby’s behavior.
• Activity Monitors – The LeapBand, created by the toy company LeapFrog, just released a kid’s version of popular fitness trackers like Jawbone and Fitbit. The wristband monitors and rewards kids for the activities they complete and has a Tamagotchi-like virtual companion as their main motivator.
• GPS Tracker – Tinitell is a wearable phone and GPS tracker for kids, with electronics small enough for the whole device to be strapped to a toddler’s wrist. The device allows kids to have GPS tracking capabilities without smartphones being present, useful since children are prone to losing such devices.
• The Smart Sock – Similar to the Mimo Baby Monitor, the Owlet is a smart sock that is worn by newborns which tracks heart rate, oxygen levels and skin temperatures. The device also syncs with smartphones or tablets so parents can track their newborn’s data.

As computer chips and Bluetooth syncing capabilities advance, tech entrepreneurs will continue to apply these features to more and more useful practices such as monitoring children’s health stats and locations. These devices help bring peace of mind to parents seeking the most complete and advanced ways to take care of their babies – no matter their age.

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