(Yicai Global) Jan. 8 --  Most kindergartens in China are divided into several categories; nursery for ages 2-3 years, lower kindergarten for 3-4 year olds, upper kindergarten for ages 4-5, and preschool for age ages 4-5. The varied age groups allow for having some assistance with childcare for those over the age of two, but what about caring for babies? They say it takes a village to raise a child, but with advancing technology, caring for your baby has become quite a bit easier. Sure, there's really nothing wrong with doing it old-school style, but there's also nothing wrong with taking some help through the use of new high-tech childcare developments. When it comes to technological advances, some things are just downright shocking, but there are a number of extremely useful gadgets and tech items that are bound to help you save time, and more importantly, keep your baby healthy and happy.

Smart Monitors for Supervision

A big part of child care for babies and toddlers alike is supervision. Monitoring your child allows you to see when they're awake or asleep, whether they're restless, need a changing, or are ready for nursing. This isn't a problem when they're awake and by your side, but what about when they're sleeping? An industry report on Chinese infants and sleeping patterns showed that 75% of parents experience being woken up by their babies, particularly by ages 6-12 months. That can get quite exhausting, so of course once your baby has settled down, the last thing you want to do is disturb them. With high-tech smart monitors, you'll never have to tiptoe over squeaky floor boards again to sneak a peek at your little one. In fact, not only will you be able to hear and see them, but many monitors now offer additional useful features, like temperature and humidity detection to give you further control over your child's comfort and environment.

Gadgets for Nifty Nursing

If your baby isn't sleeping, chances are they're nursing- or ready for nursing. Now there are sophisticated technologies available for ensuring both safe breastfeeding and optimized bottle feeding. If you breastfeed your baby, there are at-home kits that can be used to test the quality and safety of your milk before you nurse. This is especially handy if you're a mom that enjoys an occasional glass of wine or sake with your evening meal. If you pump and/or formula-feed from a bottle, there are advancements for that too. Smart baby bottles can track the amount of liquid before and after a feeding (so you know how much they're eating) as well as the angle of the bottle. Correcting the angle helps eliminate the intake of air, which can cause uncomfortable gas for your baby (and that also means less sleep for you too).

Tech for Tracking

If your baby is under the weather, has any medical issues, or you're concerned about the possibility of SIDS, keeping track of their movement and vital signs can be a great help and comfort. Wearable tech in the form of a sock or onesie tracks your baby's heart rate, temperature, and oxygen levels. If you don't quite need all of those features but still want some peace of mind, try one of the many gadgets available that detect motion; if your baby is still for over a certain amount of time, it alerts you so that you can check on them and ensure they're safe and sound.

Just about every sector of technology is rapidly evolving, and child care is no exception. Who knows how long it will be until the world has self-cleaning diapers, but in the meantime, there are a number of impressive digital items that make tending to your baby easier, more convenient, and optimal. If raising a child does take a village, maybe it's time to allow the other villagers to retire (or at least take a vacation)!

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