4Moms has introduced the Origami Stroller, the perfect baby transporter for gadget-loving moms.  The name of the stroller reflects its ability to fold up into itself, accomplished automatically with a remote control.  The Origami features daytime running lights and special path lights for evening strolls.  There’s also a digital dashboard that displays speed, trip miles covered, total miles covered and air temperature .  An indicator tracks whether a baby is in the stroller.  You can even charge your cell phone while you’re walking.

The self-folding Origami Stroller made its debut at CES 2012 and can be found at high-end baby stores.  It’s priced at $849, which is in the normal range for a top-of-the-line stroller.

For more information, visit the 4Moms website.  See how the Origami Stroller folds up via remote control in this YouTube video.

Busy parents who are tired of carting around a heavy playpen when visiting friends or relatives will be happy to discover a lightweight alternative. The GoCrib is an ultra-portable crib and play structure that inflates in minutes with its own pump and packs up into its own carrying backpack when not in use.

Because it has no metal parts, the GoCrib weighs in at only 7.5 lbs. It’s also completely safe for babies and toddlers thanks to Rigid Inflation Technology and a wide base. It can also be used outdoors for camping trips, picnics or days at the beach.

Find out more about the GoCrib on the Guava Family website.

Actress Mayim Bialik (“Blossom” and “The Big Bang Theory”) has written a book entitled Beyond the Sling that focuses on an alternative parenting style called attachment parenting.  According to Attachment Parenting International, the goal of this parenting style is to form a strong connection between parents and children. This is accomplished with co-sleeping, homeschooling, gentle discipline and (believe it or not) diaperless toilet training.  Bialik admits that her husband found the diaperless situation hard to take when their sons, who are now ages 7 and 4, were growing up.

Find out more about Attachment Parenting on the official organization website and on Mayim Bialik’s official blog.

There are been few innovations to baby monitors over the past 30 years.  The typical monitor consists of a microphone and  radio transmitter placed in the baby’s room and a receiver placed in another room.  Than range is usually less than 1,000 feet and the radio channel is often public, allowing neighbors with a receiver to inadvertently eavesdrop.  Now a new generation of monitors are using smart phones to help parents check on baby from any remote location. 

One of the newest baby monitors is the iBaby.  This WiFi baby monitor features a movable camera lens that can be controlled by an Apple touchscreen or PC mouse.  Two-way audio allows you to both listen to and talk to your baby.  Infrared night vision helps you watch  your baby in the dark.  Up to 4 users in different locations can share a single iBaby, allowing friends and relatives to be present during family parties and special moments.

Find out more about the iBaby Monitor on the official product website.  You can find out about another new monitor, the Y Cam Knight, in this earlier post.

When American journalist Pamela Druckerman had a baby while living in Paris, she realized that the French approach to motherhood is unique.  She found that the mothers she met in Paris were strict about some things and relaxed about others, producing children who sleep through the night at two or three months and eat well-balanced meals even as toddlers.  Druckerman found French mothers to be less obsessive and more relaxed than their American counterparts.  Her observations make a fascinating read for anyone who’s interested in different styles of parenting.

Find out more about French motherhood and Bringing up Bebe in this New York Times review.

Air Swimmers are remote-controlled fish that glide through the air as if they were swimming in the sea.  These large, life-like balloons operate with 4 AAA batteries and a hand held controller that moves the fish by flapping its tail fin.   Air Swimmers can be filled with helium again and again, providing hours of fun.  They are currently available in either cute Clown Fish or scary Shark models.

Air Swimmers, which are produced by the William Mark Corporation, were a big hit at the 2011 New York Toy Fair.  Find out more on the Air Swimmers website and see how much fun these flying fish balloons are in this fun YouTube video of a children’s party.

According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), home births in the U.S. are on the rise.  Between 2004 and 2009, 30 percent more American women gave birth at home.  More women are choosing home births for a number of reasons, including comfort, privacy and financial (home births cost about one third less).  A rise in cesarean section births in hospitals may also be a contributing factor.

The flipside of the growing popularity of home births is an increased risk of complications.  Because there is a two to three times greater risk of newborn death associated with home births, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology does not support them.

Read more about the home birthing controversy on the Yahoo Shine website.

Actor Neil Patrick Harris and his partner David Burtka are the proud parents of 15-month-old fraternal twins named Harper and Gideon.  In a recent interview with People magazine, Harris revealed that he and his partner are resisting the urge to use baby talk with the twins and instead are talking to them like “regular people.”  He said he learned the parenting strategy from his own parents.  Harris also revealed that he and Burtka are trying to teach the twins some simple sign language so that they can communicate their needs before they learn to talk.

Read more about baby sign language in this earlier post.

A new study conducted at the University of Colorado and published in the Journal of Sleep Research has found that toddlers who miss daytime naps may be at risk for developing mood disorders later in life.  The study, which involved toddlers aged 30 to 36 months, found that missing even a single daily nap caused anxiety and reduced levels of happiness.  Toddlers who were deprived of their nap also showed less interest in their surroundings and a decrease in problem-solving abilities.

The study concluded that getting enough sleep is a basic need for toddlers, just like nutrition, and is critically important in helping young children get the most out of experiences that foster their development.  Read complete details about this study on the University of Colorado at Boulder website.

If you have trouble getting your toddler to nap, watch this YouTube video to get some valuable tips.

Parents of older children are often concerned about their child’s location.  The nu.m8+ watch from Lok8u looks like a simple child’s digital watch but is actually a GPS that tracks a child’s location.  Additional security is provided by an automatic email or phone alert that gets sent if the watch is removed from the child’s wrist or deactivated without the parent’s approval. 

Parents can also define a virtual “safe zone.”  If a child leaves the zone while wearing the watch, the parent is alerted. The nu.m8+ watch comes in pink, blue and black.  Unlike locator devices that attach to a child’s clothing or backpack, the nu.m8+ watch is fun and practical for the child.

Lok8u also makes locator watches for at-risk adults.  Find out more about Lok8u family of locator products on the official Lok8u website.