Tampon-shaped speakers help unborn babies listen to music
Jade eggs are a thing of the past, apparently. Women are now buying small, intravaginal speakers for their unborn babies.
is a silicone, hypoallergenic FDA approved device that, according to studies, helps babies vocalize. Moms-to-be can start using BabyPod at 16 weeks of pregnancy.
"BabyPod is safe and it should only be avoided in high-risk pregnancies, or if the patient has contractions, a dilated cervix, or any kind of vaginal or urine infection," said Dr. Leonardo Marques, a gynecologist and leader of Institut Marques.
After testing hundreds of pregnant women, gynecologists with Institut Marques determined the following:
- Music applied vaginally (using Babypod) generates a response consisting of mouth and tongue movements by the fetus. These are vocalization movements similar to those made by young babies to emit sounds when learning to talk.
- Music applied abdominally does not generate any response in babies, so presumably they do not hear it.
- Vaginal vibration generates no response; the noise does not generate a reaction from the baby.
- 87% of babies apparently responded.
For skeptics thinking this can't be safe for the baby, the speaker won the Ig Nobel for Obstetrics in 2017.
Interested? Well, the BabyPod costs a whopping $150 and comes with the speaker, auxiliary headphones, a case, a satin bag and a user's manual and warranty.
