I-Qube®

BABY SMART START - HOME OF THE I-QUBE®.


Product Description (provided by Baby Smart Start).

The I-Qube® is lightweight cardboard printed and creased to fold into a sturdy 3 1/2" square block when assembled. It can be unfolded and stored for later use, then refolded. It is intended to be used for the relatively short period of time (0-6 months) when your infant is most likely to gain from the stimulation provided by using it. The I-Qube® was developed and copyrighted in 1983 by a public health nurse who worked extensively with babies from prenatal to postnatal care, well-baby and infant development clinics. It is the pioneer product of this sort. The designs on each side have been carefully created based on scientific studies to attract the attention of infants from the time they can open their eyes until they are ready to advance to more complex colors and shapes.



PURCHASING

Baby Smart Start strongly recommends that parents buy at least a couple I-Qubes® for their baby. One for the infants travel bag, one for the nursery or where you spend your time with your infant, and a spare.

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How to use the I-Qube® (provided by Baby Smart Start):

The I-Qube® has six sides - no one side preferred though infants usually respond first to the 'female face,' next to the 'male face,' then typically to all of the rest.



The I-Qube® should be shown to your infant from the very first time they open their eyes until they graduate to more advance designs and color schemes - about 4-6 months. The best time to use the I-Qube® is any time your infant is alert and receptive to attention and until your infant ignores the stimulation - this may be from moments to minutes. There are two outstanding features the I-Qube® has over most similar products we have seen, including a mobile that has similar designs. They are the bonding experience that comes with the one-on-one attention as a result of the interaction between the parent and infant, and the focus that the infant achieves with the I-Qube®. The mobile and like items, impersonal and at a fixed distance, may not even be visible to the infant if it is out of their range of focus. If an item moves at all, the movement may be indiscernible by the infant; there is no feedback that the infant recognizes the motion. The I-Qube® focal range is interactively adjusted between the parent and infant.

I-Qube is not simply a toy and needs to be used in conjunction with the caregiver, in order for it to be effective. It seems that there is a 2-fold reason for the caregiver to hold the baby when using the I-Qube. Firstly, for practical reasons: the caregiver will need to interact with the baby in order to facilitate a tracking response of the baby to track and lock onto the I-Qube. The caregiver will need to adjust and re-adjust the distance and interchange the sides of the cube to maintain baby's interest. It is also vital for the caregiver to monitor the baby's arousal level and not overstimulate the baby. Secondly, holding the baby provides the baby with deep proprioceptive input which is calming. Touch is also crucial for learning.

Just as physical exercise advances the range of motion for the body, interactive use of the I-Qube® advances hand-to-eye coordination and visual stimulation. Also, with exercise of the eyes and development of coordination, synapse connections are made within the brain. This same principle applies for visual stimulation and rehabilitation for all ages when the I-Qube® is used by professionals in the optometric or psychology environment.

I-Qube® is eco-friendly!

By the time baby has 'graduated' from the I-Qube® it is usually a little worn, a little torn and about due for replacement. They are very affordable, economical and expendable for that reason - use them until they're used up, then recycle them.




Success Through Play™ comments:

We have been most impressed with the professionalism of Baby Smart Start and it has been our great pleasure to work with them on this article. We would like to thank Baby Smart Start for sending us several samples of the I-Qube® for our test panel. The parent panel found the I-Qube® to be very easy to assemble and they commented on how they liked the fact that it is so lightweight and can be easily transported when they are on the go.



Each parent was briefed about the concept of the I-Qube® and how to use it with their baby and were then sent home with their "assignments." The group met a few weeks later to report about their baby's experience with the I-Qube®. Each parent commented that they would "highly recommend the I-Qube® to their friends." The group as a whole was impressed that their baby was so interested in looking at the shapes and patters on the I-Qube® and the parents reported that they enjoyed spending time bonding with their infant!



The I-Qube® educational toy is research-correct. This means it was developed in accordance with studies about what works and what doesn't in the enhancement of early infant development. To read some very interesting articles about infant development and the environment, please click here.

Baby Smart Start Emphasizes: "Holding your baby while using the I-Qube® increases the human bonding that your baby needs for best development. Think of this as prime one-on-one time at a crucial point in their development. Wall hangings, crib mobiles, changing table covers and such don’t offer this human bonding advantage." We agree with statement and in addition will add that learning should always be a fun experience for your baby. Parents must learn to recognize which state of consciousness their baby is in, and only introduce an object/developmental tool when their baby is in an calm state and eager to take in the world around her. When baby signals that he has had sufficient stimulation, parents must read his cues and stop the activity. Research is showing us that holding your baby enhances bonding. Touch continues to be important as your child grows and a recent study showed that children learn more efficiently when a parent gently places their hand on his/her shoulder.



We applaud Baby Smart Start for offering a reasonably priced infant developmental product that can engage your baby and promote bonding between parent and baby. The I-Qube® will make an ideal Baby Gift!

To learn more, please visit:

www.BabySmartStart.com

Disclaimer: We did not receive any financial compensation for this review. Baby Smart Start provided us with a sample for the purpose of this review.