In my previous post about the “essential digital thermometer, I mentioned the value of a digital thermometer for babies and toddlers.

We don’t often focus on gadgets in this blog, but there’s another digital product that is becoming a must-have for many parents. The cost of digital photo frames has gone down in recent years, while at the same time the percentage of people with digital cameras has increased. The latest generation of digital frames is wireless and uses the same technology as cell phones.

The Vizit Digital Frame is a good example of the new frames. Each frame has its own email address, allowing friends and family to send photos to it directly from their camera or cell phone. The frame also has a touch screen that allows you to send a pre-worded response such as “Great Pic, Thanks!” The frame also has a card reader and USB port.

The Vizit frame is the first digital frame to support tow-way communication. Find out more about it on the Vizit website. If you like the Kodak brand, then you might want to read about another great frame that supports wi-fi — the Kodak Pulse Digital Frame.

Temperature is a vitally important indicator of the health of a baby. For babies younger than 3 months, a temperature greater than 100.4 degrees requires immediate medical temperature. From babies ages 4 months to toddlers up to 3 years, the critical temperature is 102.2.

It’s not easy to get an accurate temperature reading with traditional thermometers, especially with the rectal thermometers that many doctors recommend. The solution is a digital thermometer that an use orally, rectally or under the arm.

The Summer Infant Three-In-One Family Thermometer allows you to take a baby’s temperature all three ways, providing a separate wand for each. The temperature is displayed on an easy-to-read LCD screen. For more information, visit the Summer Infant website.

More and more parents have a desire to use only natural, organic products for their baby.  The California Baby line of products is one of the leading sources for organic soaps and skin care products that are eco-friendly and animal cruelty-free.  Two of the best-reviewed California Baby products are Super Sensitive Shampoo & Body Wash and Calendula Cream.

California Baby was founded by a mother named Jessica Iclisoy who was frustrated by her attempts to find chemical-free products for her baby.  Her two children have grown and so has her company.  In addition to the online store at the California Baby website, 45 different products are sold in national chains like Whole Food, Babies R’ Us and Target.  Celebrity moms who have recommended the products include Julia Roberts, Courtney Cox, Halle Berry and Katie Holmes.  Find out more on the California Baby website.

On the subject of California babies – maybe all the healthy living and sunshine is what makes California girls special.  We can’t help but love Katy Perry’s take on the California girl phenomena, so I am sharing her video from YouTube:

Autism has become a big worry for new and experienced parents of babies.  What exactly are the symptoms of autism?  Warning signs that parents have been told to look out for in the past include poor eye contact and low levels of interaction.  Now a new study that has been reported in the September issue of Pediatrics suggests that many babies who are subsequently diagnosed with autism have trouble visually tracking objects and also have abnormal muscle tone in their arms.  Read the more details about the article on MedicineNet.com.

As with all serious medical conditions, you should consult a doctor if you think your baby may be autistic.