TECHNOLOGY FOR CHANGE

Audio in Utero

Dave Greenfield | Date: 02-22-10 | Comments

A new technology will play music in utero so parents can find another way to stimulate their children. But does this in-womb system really work?

Baby Einstein has made a mint delivering classic music in tot-friendly tones in order to help parents strengthen their children�s cognitive development. Why waste those nine months in the womb though? The Nuvo Group has developed an application/peripheral that is designed to enhance sound to �prenatal listeners.�

The Ritmo Advanced Pregnancy Sound System was recently released by Nuvo Group USA, which is, according to its Website, a group of �full-time parents motivated by the desire to educate and inspire our own kids.�

�Reactive listening begins at 17 weeks, so choose classical music for the calming Mozart Effect, the classic rock of The Beatles, or the upbeat show tunes of Broadway,� says Nuvo. And various studies back that up. One, in fact, notes that musical interactions, particularly in the last trimester when there is a brain growth spurt, are directly related to brain development. Infants recognize their mother�s voice (as well as other people with whom they have had extensive contact) when they are born, and many experts believe they remember sounds heard in the womb for up to one year after birth.

The Ritmo System provides a lightweight, elasticized band that fits around the belly to give the expectant mother easy, hands-free operation for use at home, in the car, while working out or while resting. She simply fits her MP3 player into the Micro Audio Controller and sets the sound level she prefers. The baby�s listening is adjusted to �optimal fetal levels.� The sound is delivered to the baby by two speaker sets for the best balance, while specially engineered resonance cells reduce sound leakage. In short, the youngest listeners get high-quality sound.

But do you need to pay the $130 price tag for the Ritmo System? Associate Professor of Psychology at Hunter College Tracy Dennis doesn�t think so. �If you think about it, unborn babies in New York City are exposed to all sorts of complex auditory stimuli. So any baby in New York will have a rich sound environment while they�re developing in the womb, and that�s what�s important,� she says. Bottom line: You can create the experience without the specially designed system, but music doesn�t hurt the baby, and can help enhance his or her experience in the womb.