Audio-visual aid to help baby communicate launched

Mumbai, May 28 (UNI) An audio-visual aid that helps infants to communicate and speak, has been launched in India in seven languages, including English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil and Telugu.

Priced at Rs 300, the two-disc ''My Baby Can Talk'' that is available in DVD format contains infant sign language, live footage set to classical music, pre-verbal babies along with an adult counterpart, who signs with each word.

''Research has shown that babies who use signs to communicate pre-verbally score higher on IQ tests and engage in more sophisticated play. Learning sign language reduces frustration, decreasing the frequency of temper tantrums so broadly associated with infants between 10 to 36 months,'' Kathleen Waidhofer, who pioneered the method in 2003, said.

Excel Home Videos will retail the set countrywide. ''We conducted a small test run of the product and found startling results and decided to translate the product to maximize the reach. The feedback from the users has been very encouraging,'' Excel Home Videos Managing Director M N Kapasi said.

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