[Eynstyn]

The WhyCry ® monitor is a baby cry analyzer:

· Patented with a success rate of over 87% using light indicators and 98% when compared with the symptoms chart.
· Recommended by the Spanish Association of Midwives.
· Clinically tested in Spain, Mexico and Korea.
· Silver medal in the 8th Galactica 2001 International Trade Fair of Inventions.
· Featured on NBC, FOX, Discovery Channel.

Product Description: The award-winning WhyCry ® Baby Cry Analyzer is an electronic monitor capable of identifying the reasons why a baby is crying. This sound sensitive device is programmed to recognize different pitches and then digitally analyze and transmit the baby’s cry into one of five simple expressions - hungry, bored, annoyed, sleepy or stressed.
An essential tool to ensure a calm, happy baby and confident, relaxed parents!
The WhyCry ® Baby Analyzer does not aim to replace a parent or caregivers natural ability to understand their baby's needs, but to offer guidance in recognizing the messages that our babies convey to us.
The analyzer is NOT a medical instrument, and if a parent is in any doubt about their baby's health, they should contact their doctor.

WhyCry - Baby Cry Analyser
The WhyCry® monitor is a baby cry analyzer. The monitor listens to the baby's crying for 20 seconds then digitally analyses it before indicating why.
 The device then illuminates one of five crying ‘expressions’ telling you whether the child is hungry, bored, tired, stressed or annoyed.
 The WhyCry® analyser comes with a comprehensive user guide and a symptoms chart so that once the cry has been translated the chart can then give pointers as to how to rectify the situation.
 WhyCry® has been clinically tested in Europe, with a success rate of 98% when used in conjunction with the accompanying symptoms chart.
 An ideal nursery aid for parents, child minders, nannies and carers of young babies.

Why Cry Baby Crying Analyzer

Is this good or bad?

Wouldn't it replace the organic bond between mother/father and baby with an electronic bond? It could just become in the way of or in the same fashion as our beloved iPods and Powerbooks. One step closer to giving us all numbers and takin 'way our names?

[zro]

How in the world could that possibly replace a parents bond with their child? It's a tool that could be 87% helpful.

[climber]

Sounds like a stupid idea to me. They will likely sell like crazy though.

[reader50]

Consider the alternative, if this thing worked 100%.

An essential tool to ensure a calm, happy baby and confident, relaxed parents!

Good for the parents. So, "a calm, happy baby" nearly 100% of the time. That baby won't have much motivation to move around or learn things. If this hypothetical fully-working device could go the last mile, it would somehow help the baby learn the TV remote. Then the baby will have an early start at being a calm, happy couch potato kid.

Maybe not. And the real device is up to 13% wrong.

[Eynstyn]

Originally Posted by zro 

How in the world could that possibly replace a parents bond with their child? It's a tool that could be 87% helpful.

We need more reasons to increase the bonding between parents and children, not fewer.

[starman]

Are any of you parents?

[Eynstyn]

Originally Posted by starman 

Are any of you parents?

Me.

[starman]

And don't you remember how hard it was to figure out what's wrong when your baby cries? I don't see why this is any different than reading a book.

[Big Mac]

This idea was already sold by Herb Powell.

[Eynstyn]

Originally Posted by starman 

And don't you remember how hard it was to figure out what's wrong when your baby cries? I don't see why this is any different than reading a book.

Struggling to figure it out FORCED me to get to know my kid more than thinking of him as just an "it" to be made comfortable. With a dog I can understand just wanting to know what it wanted or needed. With a child that is only eating, drinking, soiling it's nappies, crying, cooing and spitting up, it was hard for me to feel any sense of personality to connect with. I WANTED a device like that to tell me what was going on with him so I could pacify him and then get back to my real life.

But by being FORCED to focus on the little guy as a REAL PERSON who wasn't going to just make it easy for ME, I was better able to get to know HIM.

This device is a great idea on paper. But too many parents will use it as a way to save themselves time and frustration so they can get back to their real life. This marginalizes the child the same way that some rich parents just give their children money or gifts whenever they have any problems.

Pacification has it's place in happy healthy child raising but I fear our generation will use this device and it will lead to ruin for many families.

The baby should be a parent's real life. It should be the reason why the parents do what they do for a living. If they don't feel that way they shouldn't be parents. A man should just do what he really loves doing for a living and postpone fatherhood if he isn't committed to being a dad. That way no one gets hurt.

[starman]

I think you should throw away every book made about raising kids. They help you along as well.

[Eynstyn]

Originally Posted by starman 

I think you should throw away every book made about raising kids. They help you along as well.

The books DO help. The books make you a smarter parent. The device does that but takes it a dangerous step farther. It diagnoses the baby's discomfort for you and thus you may or you may not ever get around to really knowing and bonding with the baby.

Who loves their cars more, someone who washes it and waxes it every week by hand? Or someone who drives it through the automated car wash every week? Who loves their music more, someone who has bothered to learn to read music and play one or more instruments or someone who uses a drum machine or a Karaoke track when they sing?

And of course I recognize the guy who drives through the car wash may love his car just as much as the other guy and the person who sings but uses an electronic drum machine or canned music may be quite serious about SINGING rather than playing an instrument.

But the fact is that driving through an auto wash with the brushes and all, it is harder on the car's finish over time than a good hand wash and wax every week. The person who does that gets to know their car and any new dents, scratches or scrapes are noticed and taken care of quickly. A person who drives through just can't have that same level of appreciation or gain it by driving through.

And the singer is showing how much they care about the whole performance by focusing on their vocals and using electronics for the back up. Sure, it can be a necessary financial matter to use the electronic instruments. But if the singer really cared about the instruments why didn't he or she learn to play the instruments? Singer, songwriter, musicians show where their hearts are when they do it all.

A baby DESERVES the effort a parent has to put forth to try to understand the baby's needs. It's not just about pacifying the child. It's important that the child knows you love him or her. And that comes with shared time and experiences. Not just from a device that tells you how to shut the baby up and make it happy.

[starman]

By your own definition you could never love your kid as much as a woman because you didn't carry it for 9 months.

And the guy that waxes his car doesn't necessarily take care of it as much as the guy who puts it through the car wash - he might not know dick about motor oil.

Also, did you have your baby in a hospital with electronic equipment or at home?

[Eynstyn]

Originally Posted by starman 

By your own definition you could never love your kid as much as a woman because you didn't carry it for 9 months.

And the guy that waxes his car doesn't necessarily take care of it as much as the guy who puts it through the car wash - he might not know dick about motor oil.

Also, did you have your baby in a hospital with electronic equipment or at home?

I'm sorry but I'm not interested in chatting about this to win points. As long as you understand what I was trying to say, that's good enough for me. You may disagree or agree. I'm saying it has built in dangers that many will fall victim to out of a misplaced sense of making the baby happy. But they do that at the expense of dealing with the baby as an intrusion that needs to be quickly dealt with. It's a handy, dandy shortcut which doesn't strengthen or enrich the family ties at all but instead makes them as utilitarian as a USB cable. That's all.

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by Eynstyn 

I'm sorry but I'm not interested in chatting about this to win points. As long as you understand what I was trying to say, that's good enough for me. You may disagree or agree. I'm saying it has built in dangers that many will fall victim to out of a misplaced sense of making the baby happy. But they do that at the expense of dealing with the baby as an intrusion that needs to be quickly dealt with. It's a handy, dandy shortcut which doesn't strengthen or enrich the family ties at all but instead makes them as utilitarian as a USB cable. That's all.

Like electronic monitors that keep parents from the burden of having their baby in the same room with them.

Or canned baby formula that keeps mothers from the burden of having to breast feed.

Or those mechanical baby swings that keep parents from the burden of having to rock them themselves.

I suppose you didn't use any of these and for the same reasons? I agree with your overall point but a little perspective is necessary. Where do you draw the line? How far back in history do you go before you get to the place where you find the tools to be acceptable?

Kind of arbitrary really.

(and no, I wouldn't have used one of these silly things)

[- - e r i k - -]

I smell a scam. There's no gullible like new-parent gullible®!

[Eynstyn]

Originally Posted by smacintush 

Like electronic monitors that keep parents from the burden of having their baby in the same room with them.

Or canned baby formula that keeps mothers from the burden of having to breast feed.

Or those mechanical baby swings that keep parents from the burden of having to rock them themselves.

I suppose you didn't use any of these and for the same reasons? I agree with your overall point but a little perspective is necessary. Where do you draw the line? How far back in history do you go before you get to the place where you find the tools to be acceptable?

Kind of arbitrary really.

(and no, I wouldn't have used one of these silly things)

Before there was a 'baby monitor" I got an intercom system used by businesses and put it in his room for just that purpose.

We used prepared formula and the baby swing.

The idea of going back in history can be answered using your own judgment. Ask yourself what invention prevents you from interacting with the child to learn how the baby communicates and responds or doesn't respond to stimuli and which invention prevents the baby from seeing and sensing you and getting cues about who you are and prevents him the quality repetitions that is satisfying and necessary to his development.

When you use your own judgment to answer that question you might find that the one 'invention' that comes closest to doing all of the above is pretty costly but very convenient. It solves the parents need to have more time for themselves and satisfies the babies immediate needs for creature comfort and limits the interaction between parents and children and creates a perfect opportunity for a child to be ignored under the banner of being made 'comfortable.' These kids may end up growing to crave parental attention and interaction from their parents from who they are estranged. And they will become needy teens and maladjusted young adults. And then they will have babies and they will reproduce the same type of upbringing they had, under the banner, "I'm treating junior the same way I was raised and I turned out alright, didn't I?"

And the answer, of course is no. And children and future parents and society suffers all because of a device that makes it easy, convenient and justifiable for a parent to avoid learning to read their child and the child to learn and bond and be comforted by the parent as he tries to understand his pride and joy.

And the name of that OTHER invention that preceded the WhyCry ® baby cry analyzer?

It is called the nanny.

[Dork.]

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - - 

I smell a scam. There's no gullible like new-parent gullible®!

Yup, you hit the nail right on the head.

Besides, you can count the reasons why infants cry on one hand:
- I'm hungry
- I'm sleepy (over-tired)
- I need a new diaper
- I have gas (or feel otherwise unwell)
- I'm lonely

I don't think infants know the concepts of being "bored" or "annoyed" yet, which this device claims to tell you.

[wallinbl]

Originally Posted by Eynstyn 

With a dog I can understand just wanting to know what it wanted or needed.

Get to know your dog. Dogs aren't some great mystery - they eat, drink, poop, pee, play, sleep and love. That's about it. If you can't figure out which one of those your dog is in need of, then let someone else take care of your dog. My dog understands English just fine and I can ask her what she wants.

[Dakar²]

success rate of 98% when used in conjunction with the accompanying symptoms chart.

I think that tells you all you need to know.

I'd be curious what the success rates of their analyzer is stand-alone, as well as the chart, just to see who is higher.

[vmarks]

Originally Posted by Dork. 

Yup, you hit the nail right on the head.

Besides, you can count the reasons why infants cry on one hand:
- I'm hungry
- I'm sleepy (over-tired)
- I need a new diaper
- I have gas (or feel otherwise unwell)
- I'm lonely

I don't think infants know the concepts of being "bored" or "annoyed" yet, which this device claims to tell you.

I think you're mistaken.

Some children don't talk until 2 years old, so cries are the method of communication, as well as other non-word verbalizations.

They definitely understand 'annoyed' and 'bored' at 18 months.

On this device: it's clearly a tool. All tools can be mis-used. Eynstn's fear is that it will be universally misused. I'm unsure that it will. Certainly, things like 'food' and 'sleep' are pretty easy to rectify, but 'boredom' or 'annoyance' requires greater involvement to remedy, unless the parent is inclined to turn on the TV or place toys in front of the child - and the parent so inclined to do that is going to do that regardless of this new-fangled device.

[zro]

Here's the problem: You were "FORCED to focus on the little guy as a "REAL PERSON and not as an "it" instead of realizing so long as you love them and are happy to have them you form a life long bond anyway.

Besides, it's not knowing what your child needs that creates the bond you're talking about, it's doing something about it that does. This tool in no way interferes with that.

[Timo]

The problem of course with the WhyCry is that it substitutes a machine for what should be the mental work by a parent. Getting to know a child starts with understanding and emphatizing with he or she, not "interpreting" or "analyzing" evidence the child submits. Figuring out crying is easier if you imagine being the child (and go through the checklist). This imagining is in my opinion some of the earliest bonding you can do with your child, and is therefore a bedrock move in parenting.

***

Of course, my baby was pretty straightforward. I don't know how I would feel if I had had a difficult child as a new parent.

[Timo]

Originally Posted by zro 

Besides, it's not knowing what your child needs that creates the bond you're talking about, it's doing something about it that does. This tool in no way interferes with that.

Nope. Part of being a good parent is empathizing, and then doing something with that knowledge. That's a process and a cycle, and you don't necessarily want an algorhythm added to the sequence as a short cut.

[rickey939]

Worthless.

[zro]

Originally Posted by Timo 

Nope. Part of being a good parent is empathizing, and then doing something with that knowledge. That's a process and a cycle, and you don't necessarily want an algorhythm added to the sequence as a short cut.

A shortcut to what? A happy, healthy baby? How awful!

I don't believe empathizing with an infant is truly possible. You can know what it's like to be hungry or tired or uncomfortable or bored but knowing what it's like for them is not likely.

I'm not saying anyone should rely on this as the sole means of communication with their baby (I doubt it's even 15% correct), but assuming it works it isn't the end of parenting at all. I'm sure the same things were said about baby monitors and giving birth at hospitals. It's just a tool that could help you and your child.

And for the record, yes I do have kids. With another on the way.

[selowitch]

I have an eight-year-old son and a two-month-old daughter. I would rather hone my communicaton skills with my infant than have some machine tell me how to parent her. One thing my wife and I are thinking of trying is infant sign language, which helps babies convey their needs before they have words.

[Dakar²]

Wow, interesting.

[andi*pandi]

ridiculous contraption. I hereby delegate it to the pile of unused bottle warmers, wipe warmers, fancy food mashers etc.

You can tell the difference in a baby's cry, if you listen. And you learn by trial and error, like everything in life. And sometimes no matter what you do, if you do everything possible, it still will not work. And you persevere. And the next day dawns, and you do it all over again. And maybe it's easier.

We are expecting our second, and I'm so looking forward to reaping the benefits of experience, and being more relaxed, just knowing what I know now.

[mac128k-1984]

Oh please as there is absolutely no need for this.
As a parent I don't need a machine to tell me that my girls are crying because they're hungry or that they fell or that they want to be picked up. Each type of cry is unique and most (all?) parents can tell the difference.

[finboy]

Originally Posted by starman 

Are any of you parents?

Me, too. I have a 2-mo.-old at home, and she has three or four distinctive cry sounds, and is getting more every day. Same with our other child. Most parents (IME) learn to recognize these sounds anyway, but if they don't, this analyzer might actually help to attune them to the difference in sounds and HELP them meet the child's needs. I think it's a good idea -- it won't replace parental attention.

[Dork.]

Originally Posted by vmarks 

I think you're mistaken.

Some children don't talk until 2 years old, so cries are the method of communication, as well as other non-word verbalizations.

They definitely understand 'annoyed' and 'bored' at 18 months.

That's why I said infant. Once the child gets older, even if she can't verbalize she can still communicate without crying if you learn her cues. But this device seems to be marketed at new parents, and there is no big mystery as to what a newborn's basic needs are, and a newborn's only method of communicating those needs is crying.

In fact, my wife taught our daughter some basic sign language signs when she was first able to hold her hands up and make gestures, so she was able to communicate with us at a very early age. I'd recommend it!

[climber]

I can see it now... It is the middle of the night and the fathers' turn to get up. "I don't understand, she still won't stop crying. The analyzer keeps saying she is hungry but she refuses to eat. I have made three bottles and she just turns her head. I am going crazy! What am I supposed to do? I have to get up and go to work in a couple of hours" The mother finally gets out of bed and quickly checks on her daughter and after about 30 seconds turns to her husband and says "why didn't you just check her diaper?"

[sek929]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

This idea was already sold by Herb Powell.

Which is (naturally) the first thing I thought when I read the thread title.

[Dakar²]

Originally Posted by sek929 

Which is (naturally) the first thing I thought when I read the thread title.

Simpsons fan?

[sek929]

Only a little

I would pay 5 dollars extra a month just to see Venture Bros though.

[Dakar²]

A close friend of mine is too lazy to get cable so he wanted to raid my DVDs, so I forced him to take Venture Brothers.

He was raving about it at the bar this weekend.

[macroy]

WASTE OF MONEY.

Unless you're a care provider .. even that's a stretch.

I really don't' see a parent needing this - if they do, perhaps they need to re-evaluate their priorities (maybe Jr. should be ranked higher than World of Warcraft).

[sek929]

Originally Posted by Dakar² 

He was raving about it at the bar this weekend.

Must be due to the fact that it's f**kin' hilarious

[Dakar²]

Yep.

[Rampant1]

Bah on the technology. Get to know the kid and what may be contributing to their distress. As the father of a preemie who had lots of problems we found a few chapters from this book, The Self Calmed Baby, to be just what we needed.

We basically couldn't let the child cry at all due to things like acid reflux, lung problems, etc. Now the boy is darn near the biggest and brightest kid in 4th grade. Not to shabby for a two pounder that arrived 12 weeks early :^)

[Railroader]

Starman is right on.

We had to use formula with our first born. We used (still) monitors. We used a pacifier with one. Bought jarred (organic) baby food for a couple months. Books, books, and more books. Used properly, this device is a godsend for some. But just like everything I mentioned, it can be abused. My brother only has custody 4 days a month of his daughter and this would allow him to quickly diagnose her needs and spend more time interacting with her and not soothing her.

I saw this device demoed somewhere (can't remember where) and it was amazing.

Eynstyn: The "dog" comment really pointed out where your intelligence lies.

disclaimer: I have a 17 month old and a 3.5 year old. Sometimes you just can't interpret them. And as for the nanny comment, we are with our children 98% of the time. I retired to raise my children.

[Dakar²]

Oh I missed the nanny comment. I was wondering if someone was going to bring up that situation.

Of course at least you're interacting with your own kid with this device.

[Adam Betts]

This device shouldn't be for everyone but just to put things in perspective, there's hard-of-hearing, deaf parents, etc that this device would help tremendously.

I look at this device more of as a "breaking the ice" with your baby then you take over once you are able to identify the difference between each cry or when they started to learn using language to communicate. It's not for permanent use but I'd be amazed if it worked well for teenager crybabies

*15 yrs old boy crying*

*WhyCry® detects that this boy is now going through puberty stage. Suggestion: remove his internet access immediately*

[Dakar²]

Originally Posted by Adam Betts 

I look at this device more of as a "breaking the ice" with your baby then you take over once you are able to identify the difference between each cry or when they started to learn using language to communicate.

Thank you. This is the rational way of looking upon the devices application.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by Adam Betts 

This device shouldn't be for everyone but just to put things in perspective, there's hard-of-hearing, deaf parents, etc that this device would help tremendously.

I look at this device more of as a "breaking the ice" with your baby then you take over once you are able to identify the difference between each cry or when they started to learn using language to communicate. It's not for permanent use ...

Well said.

[Eynstyn]

Originally Posted by wallinbl 

Get to know your dog. Dogs aren't some great mystery - they eat, drink, poop, pee, play, sleep and love. That's about it. If you can't figure out which one of those your dog is in need of, then let someone else take care of your dog. My dog understands English just fine and I can ask her what she wants.

Actually I agree that any subservient or maybe better put, DEPENDENT beings that depend on you for support deserve your time and attention. Kids, dogs, cats, employees, students, relationship partners...all of them.

[Dakar²]

Don't forget Tamagotchi.

[Eynstyn]

Originally Posted by zro 

Here's the problem: You were "FORCED to focus on the little guy as a "REAL PERSON and not as an "it" instead of realizing so long as you love them and are happy to have them you form a life long bond anyway.

Besides, it's not knowing what your child needs that creates the bond you're talking about, it's doing something about it that does. This tool in no way interferes with that.

Using a different analogy and context, when you go out with a woman does she want to just be fed, entertained by a film and stimulated to an orgasm? No. She wants to get to know you and enjoy your company and the interaction you two have.

If you never bother to learn who your baby is you both are cheated.

And if you say this helps that process, I say you miss something by having it 'given' to you like that. Now, if you have tried and are unable to figure these things out yourself then maybe you do need help. How many times have you watched Caesar the Dog Whisperer accomplish wonders with someone's dog and thought to yourself, "this dog's person is a dummy"? Most of the people I have seen really just don't spend enough time with Fido and when they wonder why Fido acts weird they bring in Caesar.

This baby device is like Caesar.

[torsoboy]

Originally Posted by selowitch 

I have an eight-year-old son and a two-month-old daughter. I would rather hone my communicaton skills with my infant than have some machine tell me how to parent her. One thing my wife and I are thinking of trying is infant sign language, which helps babies convey their needs before they have words.

We used baby signs with both of our kids and they work great. They can learn to say "milk", "drink", "food", "book", "candy", etc. by the time they are about a 10 months - 12 months old... way before they start speaking the words. Since we haven't had any children that we did not do this with I can't say for sure how much aggravation it saves us, but I would think it was quite a bit. You *could* figure it all out based on their cries and grunts, but why make your kid cry/grunt/etc when they can communicate more effectively with signs.

On topic: I personally think the device is a great idea. I don't think that figuring out the hard way why your baby is crying is something that makes you better parent if it is not needed. Playing with your kids and spending time with them makes the link for me, not listening to them crying and figuring out why they're doing it. I welcome a device like this (if it works).