UK developer BlueMaestro has announced a temperature-sensing baby pacifier with the somewhat obvious name Pacifi. According to Mobihealthnews (but frustratingly not on their website), the pacifier sends temperature data via Bluetooth Smart to an iPhone or Android app. Parents can record medication dosing and reminders, track temperature and medication over time, and set up an alarm when baby runs a high predetermined temperature. It’s also dishwasher safe. Pacifi joins Raiing Wireless‘ body thermometer FDA cleared in 2012 (now iThermometer) and Kinsa’s plug-in smart thermometer which took a crowdsourcing approach to local public health. It is not cleared for sale yet in the UK or US, but was shown at last month’s Mobile World Congress Barcelona and the Smart UK Project in London. Unfortunately, it may be a while before Quantified Self Moms can put it on the list for their baby showers, along with the Owlet monitoring sock, Mimo onesie and iTeddy [TTA 10 Sept]. Related: MedCityNews compares Mimo to adult sleep monitor Lark, awarding the matchup to Mimo. The real matchup is Owlet versus Mimo (see this Editor’s comment). (Also see our comments here discussing the safety of RF monitoring around babies.)
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Hi Donna,
I see this concept getting media coverage all over the health tech press but am surprised no one’s asking any questions about it.
Do you think we should be encouraging parents to be putting radios in the mouths of babies?
David, you bring up an excellent point re safety of RF. My only assumption is that because we ‘swim’ in a sea of radiation, we don’t think twice about putting it near babies with developing brains! A sock on the foot is much more acceptable than a pacifier or even monitor at the chest, and the Owlet, for instance, also takes skin temperature, heart rate, breathing and rollover. I suspect the Pacifi will have its day in the press and never see the light of day….