While it's impossible to completely digitize parenting and deduce a baby's needs down to a science, the Why Cry Baby Analyzer comes fairly close. Equipped with advanced frequency analysis technology, in 20 seconds, this digital baby monitor will detect whether your baby is tired, stressed, bored or hungry, reporting back to you on a portable LCD screen. This product can be found at www.thinkgeek.com for $99.99, but of course there are many other types of digital baby monitors for the concerned parent.

There are many good, digital infant monitors from which to choose. The Philips DECT baby monitor gets the highest reviews for sound clarity and offers special features, like parent-to-baby intercom functionality, alert lights, room temperature gauges, a night-light and soothing lullabies. The Summer Infant baby monitor offers video, night-vision, sound-alert lights and zoom and pan functionality. The Secure Sounds infant monitor Summer brand has also received positive reviews for limited interference and its stylish, contemporary design. The new Digitally Fresh digital baby monitor comes with a 1.5-inch color LCD baby monitor screen, a walkie-talkie/receiver and a security camera. The Graco baby monitor, called the "iMonitor," has multi-child monitoring features, an estimated 2,000-ft range, night vision and zoom. Mobi sells systems with unlimited receivers, wide camera angles, zoom, voice-activated video transmission and high-resolution screens. These high-end models run between $100 and $200.

You may find the price of a digital baby monitor to be a bit too high for your liking, in which case there are a few analog, baby monitor system choices that still receive decent reviews. The "Whisper Connect" by Evenflo (£20 to £30) comes with two receivers, two monitors and rechargeable batteries, not to mention three-way-talk functionality, sound lights and a low battery indicator. The Graco baby monitor, "Ultra Clear II" (£30) comes with two receivers that have two channels for better sound clarity. The Fisher Price baby monitor, "Private Connection" (£35 - £50) has received more positive reviews than their "Lights & Sounds" model, which is more prone to static. The "BabyCall NTM-910" by Sony (£45) is a 900 MHz analog monitor that has better clarity than most of the cheaper models, customers say.

There is a digital baby monitor for everyone. There are basic £20 monitors that serve as walkie-talkies and transmitters of baby coos, gurgles, talking and cries. There are £60 monitors that give you greater range, better sound clarity, more receivers and lights-only indicators to show when the baby is screeching. The more high-end digital monitors past £100 may add lullabies, other monitoring features and night lights. Then, there are the systems with video monitors, offering a whole new level of baby espionage to the scene. At the end of the day, it's up to you and what you feel is most needed.