Alexa Launches Baby Activity Skills API

Amazon has announced that it is releasing the Baby Activity Skill API for Alexa developers to create baby-related tracking skills for the voice assistant.

“Today, we are excited to announce the Baby Activity Skill API, a new skill type that enables you to build Alexa skills that help customers keep track of baby activities simply by asking Alexa,” the company said. Customers can track things like diaper changes, and can also ask Alexa when they happened.

“The API, available in the U.S., includes a set of interfaces that make the skill building process much easier, so that you can build Alexa skills for your baby care apps and devices more quickly. Currently, we offer Weight, Sleep, DiaperChange, and InfantFeeding interfaces, and plan on adding more use cases in the future,” the company said.

The skills will help parents who want consistency in baby tracking but aren’t sure how to get it, or might be too tired or busy to do it in an efficient way.

Keith Jaeger, chief technology officer for Wildflower Health, a family health application, said he added Alexa controls to some of the company’s important areas.

“We added Alexa control to key portions of our Pregnancy and early childhood apps, which facilitates hands-free recording of vital information that would otherwise be missed,” he said. “In addition to helping us easily add features that further our mission to improve the health of families, it has been great to see developers and testers so excited about the technology and the role they play on the project.”

Users can ask things like “Alexa, track a dirty diaper change for Jane,” or “Alexa, log a 3-ounce bottle for Jane,” or even “Alexa, start nursing from the left.”

Xavier Launay, founder and CEO of Baby Connect, said the hands-free capability is especially helpful.

“With this new capability, parents will be able to easily record events hands-free and have rapid access to the information,” Launay said. “Our initial tests show an increase in engagement from the parents who use the Baby Activity skill for Alexa.”