A "Caring Cot"

Parents of newborn babies could be in for a better night's sleep, thanks to an invention by a young design graduate, which gently rocks a baby if it starts crying, according to CNN.

"Garry Cho's "Caring Cot" could also save babies' lives, as it can sense whether the air temperature is appropriate and whether a baby is lying still for too long. The cot is fitted with a sensor, and will gently rock the baby back to sleep.

Acting as a virtual nanny, the device works on similar principles to baby monitors currently on the market, with a handheld device for parents linked up to a sensor attached to a cot.

But where existing models measure only sound, Cho's also measures movement and temperature, which could help the early detection of symptoms that lead to Sudden Infants Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Cho, of North London, says he discovered vertical rocking was more effective than side-to-side rocking, and so he built a rocking device into the cot that moves up and down.

It automatically rocks after the child cries for more than 30 seconds.

But equally important, says Cho, is detecting if a child does not move.

"The Caring Cot sounds an alarm if a baby does not move after 110 minutes."