The Owlet Smart Sock is a device that has been used by parents for close to a decade to track the heart rates, oxygen levels, and sleep patterns of infants. That data helps parents determine if oxygen levels are where they should be and if the baby's heart is functioning properly, all in an attempt to lessen the cases of SIDS. The data also helped researchers determine that abnormally high heart rates in babies are more common than previously perceived.

Doctors from the University of Michigan, the Cleveland Clinic Children's, and the University of Utah evaluated over 200 million hours of data collected from the Owlet Smart Sock from over 100,000 babies.

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What the doctors found was that 5,070 episodes of tachyarrhythmia occurred from 2,508 babies from the group, according to BusinessWire. Approximately 1 in every 40 babies from the group, or 2.5%, experienced an elevated heart rate for an extended period.

According to C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, the instances of supraventricular tachycardia occur in 1 out of 2,500 babies, or .04%. Other studies have found it to be slightly higher still. However, none have come close to the 2.5% figure the doctors were able to observe from the Owlet Smart Sock data.

Supraventricular tachycardia is the most common reason for high heart rates in babies, according to Starship. For those who present with it the first time, 30% to 40% will show symptoms one week after being born, according to the publication.

Babies with supraventricular tachycardia will have a heart rate that is faster than 220 beats per minute, according to the American Heart Association. When the heartbeat races at these levels, it is a result of the upper chamber of the heart firing "abnormally." The heart's pacemaker, the sinoatrial node, is unable to work properly, which causes rapid heart rate, per the publication.

For some, this supraventricular tachycardia will require acute management. However, according to the study, for most babies who presented with the condition via the data collected from the Owlet Smart Sock, supraventricular tachycardia likely represented a "subclinical disease." This means that there were no symptoms to be seen by parents after an episode of racing heartrate and that no damage was done to the heart.

It should be noted that the Owlet Smart Sock is not a medical device. By being able to note episodes of a rapid heart rate though, it allows conversations to be had with pediatricians to ensure that there is not irreversible damage being done to the heart for those who have consistent bouts with supraventricular tachycardia.

The study notes that future research is needed to determine if there truly are more babies with supraventricular tachycardia than previously thought. And if so, then it is necessary to get them the treatment needed before damage is done to the heart that cannot be undone.

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Source: Business Wire, The Journal of Pediatrics, American Heart Association, Starship, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital