Because their bone structure is not fully formed, infants aged about one can stretch and bend their bodies as comfortably as a yogi. So why do they need yoga classes?

At least one school believes they do, together with music and other exercises, so that all their senses will be stimulated.

Another school, which runs music and movement programmes for kids as young as two months, commercialises the belief that Mozart's music can kick-start their brains' cognitive development.

This reminds one of the time, not long ago, when pregnant mothers put Walkman headsets on their bellies and played anything from Mozart to Beethoven and Bach, so that their as-yet unformed babies could grow up to be musical or otherwise talented.

For these poor babies and their misguided mothers, the rat race began in the womb.

Infant schools are attracting more Singaporean mothers. The one that teaches what it calls 'yoga play', among other things, said 80 infants - all under six months old - have been through its course this year.

The music and movement school said more than 1,000 infants up to 18 months old attend its courses each year.

Aren't such advertised 'enrichment classes' an unnecessary luxury?

Mr Nah Yong Hwee, a psychologist at the National University Hospital, pointed out that progress may not be easily observed in children less than a year old because they are not developmentally ready.

The people who run these schools also boast about how their courses can help mother and child bond. But a loving mother does not have to go to a school that charges a tidy sum to bond with her baby.

Experts on playschool and kindergartens have pointed out that their emphasis should be on play rather than structured learning. This obviously applies to infant classes.

As Mr Nah has cautioned, these classes should not overwhelm infants. They may grow to hate a formal learning environment, like school.