A TikToker recently shared an account of how a false Owlet Alarm for low oxygen turned out to be something entirely different. The TikTok mom recalled the incident involving her child and an alarm that detects low oxygen in infants and immediately notifies the parent.
The mother said that she woke up after the Owlet alarm turned red, which meant that her baby had low oxygen. She rushed to her baby’s room to check in on him. Both she and her husband turned on the lights at 4:16 a.m. and checked the crib, she stated.
The TikToker claimed that when she first saw her baby, he appeared to be wiggling about in a fetal position. Since the alarm signaled low oxygen, the first thing the mother did was check her baby for blue lips.
@caitlin.emmaline As much as I’m loving how much you guys are loving my story times and our FaceTimes together I would actually love to have a few uneventful days so maybe let’s take a break for a bit guys bc I need a break ? #funny #toddlermom #boymom #momoftwo #postpartum
♬ original sound - caitlin - midwife - mom
Blue lips in babies are generally the main sign that the baby’s oxygen level is low and needs immediate medical attention. When the concerned parent held her baby up against the light, she noticed no such indication of urgent medical care.
When she inspected him, her baby appeared to have just woken up. With nothing physically concerning her child, her husband and the baby appeared confused. She then explained why she came rushing in to check on her child.
The TikToker said, “Bro, the Owlet alarmed red. That’s the bad one — that’s the one that says low oxygen.” She also mentioned that the alarm went off twice before, and in both incidents, it was yellow. Generally, this means that the device cannot get a good reading.
However, it was her and her husband’s first experience with the Owlet baby monitor alarm turning red. Although the device indicated that the baby had low oxygen, the woman’s husband pointed out that their son looked completely healthy and safe.
Rise in False Owlet Alarms
The TikToker also revealed that her mother, a pediatrician, had advised against getting the device because of a rise in false Owlet alarms. Her husband brought this up during the morning of the incident, she further said.
After a brief banter between them, her husband attempted to calm his wife down. Recalling his response, she said, “Look at him, he’s not blue. He’s not panicking, he seems to be totally fine — These things have false alarms, don’t worry about it.”
However, the mother was still not convinced and decided to do what she referred to as a system check-up. This, she said, was after a quick inquiry with ChatGPT.
@ashleycordaro False alarm with @OwletBaby #owletsock #owletfalsealarm
♬ original sound - Ashley | GIRL MAMA
First, babies with low oxygen either don’t nurse or have difficulty nursing. The TikToker shared that the situation was all normal because the minute her baby began nursing, the child was finally able to poop. It turns out the baby was struggling with bloating to the point where the Owlet alarm assumed it was low oxygen.
She also checked for signs of choking or gasping and if the temperature was abnormal. However, her baby was healthy and normal.
The mother said it was a false alarm and decided to deep-dive on the internet to find out if others had similar experiences.
