"The Savages are among a growing number of New York parents hoping to build a stronger auditory connection with their unborn babies. A new wave of “womb boxes” — devices that amplify noises in the uterus — has recently flooded the market, including the Ritmo Advanced Pregnancy Sound System ($129.99), which launched two months ago. The Ritmo, a Velcro belt with speakers for an MP3 player, attaches to a mother’s waist and allows her to shop, clean, even dance while her kid listens to the latest Top 40.
Five-months-pregnant Maria Suarez, 32, of Roosevelt Island, pipes in classical tunes to her fetus using “Belly Buds” ($60), which has suction cups for speakers that connect straight to her iPod.
By the time her baby boy is born, Suarez expects him to have a broad musical appreciation.
“Hopefully by seven months he’ll be listening to Beyoncé,” she says.
Bernard P. Dreyer, director of developmental pediatrics at the NYU School of Medicine, says the trend for baby blasters is a waste of money. If you want a smart kid, he says, leave the fetus alone and wait until it’s born.
