Babies to benefit from new speaker system

For those who have trouble getting the baby to sleep at night, the iCrib Sound System from Munchkin could be the lullaby-friendly answer.

The iCrib speaker system straps easily to the child's cot, enabling tired parents to put their baby safely to bed with an iPod to help him or her into dreamy slumber.

A night light in a sequence of different colours is also included in the product for extra-calming effects.

The Charlotte Observer website claims that the iPod holder, which is held in place by Velcro, is kept "theoretically out of reach of exploring hands" for safety.

Meanwhile, Celebrity Cafe suggests using "Mozart, Beethoven, heavy metal, acid or rock 'n roll music" as a lullaby for the baby's bedtime.

This innovative new product is available from the Munchkin website for around $30 (£16) and is powered by AA batteries, with Amazon stating that it is open for orders for the soon-to-be-stocked iCrib.

The iCrib can be set to play for 15, 30 or 60 minutes so that parents can leave the child lulling to sleep and return later, switching off the iPod to save batteries.