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These New Award-Winning Baby Tech Devices Will Absolutely Blow Your Mind

Back when I was born, the most high-tech devices available for parents were things like manual swing rockers, baby monitors that were more like walkie-talkies, and disposable cameras to capture those precious milestones (12 images at a time, of course). Now, parents have smart technology that makes the old stuff seem positively dumb by comparison. Take Babylist's Best of BabyTech Awards for 2019, for instance. The just-released list of must-have products includes remarkable gadgets that would make those poor old Teddy Ruxpin talking bear dolls lie down and weep.

Now in its fourth year, the Babylist competition invites inventors and business owners to submit their innovations in baby-related tech gear. Winners are chosen in each of six categories: Baby Health and Safety, Baby Play and Learn, Baby Sleep, Fertility and Pregnancy, Parenting, and an online Audience Favorite. The entrants are judged both by a panel of experts and by Babylist online users. This year's finalists came to the CES 2019 awards ceremony in Las Vegas, where the category winners were announced.

Babylist cites a survey by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) that found that a full 43 percent of expectant parents feel "overwhelmed" and unsure of where to start researching baby gear. Learning about products such as the Best of BabyTech winners can help parents build their registries. "We saw an 88 percent increase in entries this year, proving that baby tech is booming," Babylist editor-in-chief Rebekah Otto tells Romper. She notes that baby monitors, in particular, are becoming increasingly more sophisticated (and more expensive), but that "parents are willing to pay for innovations that solve a real problem."

Here are the products that took top honors this year. If you or someone you know is looking to build a baby registry, these items are definitely worth adding to the list.