How does playing classical music to your unborn child effect them?

Question

I heard it makes them smarter, more mathematical etc. What is the real story on this?

Answer 1

Studies show, that it calms them and when the baby is born, most of them will remember the song that they heard. As far as making them smart, there's no study that shows that happening.

Answer 2

It does NOTHING for them at all...aside from disturbing them. A study was done on fetal heartbeats while music and different noises were being played near the mother's tummy. The ONLY thing that did not cause a stressful reaction in the baby was the sound of the mothers voice. They're not supposed to hear much of anything in there...it's designed that way. They also disproved that listening to classical music helps your child be smarter. What they did find is that parents who would do that for their child care greatly about their baby's development and that type of parent will do more, teach more and care more. It's the caring, nurturing parent that makes them smarter, not the music.

Answer 3

No one really knows. Smarter, etc is all wives tales. They dont have any scientific data to support the claims. But if you want to play music to your unborn child go right ahead. It might make the baby happy or calm/relaxed.

Answer 4

It has to do with the rythmns and patterns of the music. In classical music, the rythms and patterns tend to vary more often than in other types of music. The more frequent differences in pitch, speed, and emotional feeling of the music stimulates the fetus's brain waves.

Answer 5

1

Answer 6

In the study of the unborn, there's certainly no shortage of nonsense. Incredibly, however, scientists are starting to find that some of these apparently over-the-top theories may actually have a basis in fact. Still, much more research needs to be done before anyone can answer your question with certainty.

Because the ability to hear is quite well developed in the fetus by the end of the second trimester or the beginning of the third, it's true that your friend's babies are hearing the music and the readings. What that will mean in the long run isn't really clear. Some researchers in the field believe that it is actually possible to stimulate the fetus priod to birth to produce, in a sense, a "superbaby". There are methods that claim to turn out babies who can speak at six months and read at a year and a half, by exposing the fetus to increasingly complex rhythmic imitations of a mother's heartbeat.

Though there are no proven benefits to prenatal manipulation of a baby's intellectual development, there are theoretical risks. For one thing, fetuses, like newborns have natural patterns of sleep and wakefulness - patterns that parents might unwittingly disrupt in their well-meant attempts to make the womb a classroom. These stimulating disruptions could actually hamper development rather than nurture it (much as waking a napping newborn for a game of Flash cards might). For another thing, fetuses, like newborns, have individual patterns of development that need to be respected, tampering with these patterns could be harmful in the long run. Most important, there's always the danger that in the pursuit of intellectual excellence, parents might lose sight of what all babies and children need - and benefit from - most, unconditional love.

That isn't to say that attempting to make contact with your baby before birth, and even reading to it or playing music for it, is either harmful or a waste of time. Any kind of prenatal communication may give you a head start on the long process of parent-baby bonding. This may not necessarily translate into more closeness as your baby gets older, but it may make those earliest days easier.

Of course, if you feel silly talking to your bloated abdomen, there's no reason to worry that your baby will miss out on getting to know you. He or she is getting used to the sound of your voice - and Dad's too - every time you talk to each other or someone else. That's why infants seem to recognise and respond to their parent's voices at birth.

Your voice, because it is heard not only from the outside but from the inside, is especially familiar, and appears to be comforting too. Research shows that a fetus's heart rate slows in response to its mother's voice, suggesting that babies are soothed by their mums even before birth.

Your fetus can also hear other sounds from the outside world, and may become familiar with those that are common in your surroundings. Whereas a newborn who had little prenatal exposure to a barking dog may startle and cry at first hearing the sound, one who's heard a lot of barking won't even blink.

Exposure to music may also affect the fetus. Research has shown that some fetuses demonstrate a preference (by a change in their movements) for certain types of music - usually the gentler kind. There's even evidence that babies may remember music they've listened to in utero. In one study, a piece by Debussy was played over and over for pregnant women when both they are their fetuses were tranquil. After birth, the same piece of music appeared to have a soothing effect on the babies, calming and quitening them down. Whether this early music appreciation has any lasting impact isn't documented. But most experts would agree that exposing a baby to good music after he or she is born is probably a lot more significant in the creation of a music lover than exposing a fetus in utero.

It's also been suggested that, since the sense of touch is already developed in the uterus, stroking your abdomen and 'playing' with a little knee or botton when it's pushed up may also help parent - child bonding - and whether this is true or not, there's certainly no harm in trying. Of course, it's unlikely that you'll need to make a conscious effort to touch your baby more, even strangers can hardly keep their hands off a pregnant belly - as you've probably noticed.

There's one thing for sure, whether or not your in utero interactions will be ultimately enriching to your baby, they can be rewarding for you now, making the little one in your uterus seem more real, and bringing you (and your spouse) closer to your child before he or she is even born. So enjoy making baby contact now, but don't worry about teaching facts or imparting information - there's plenty of time for that later. As you'll discover, children grow up all too soon anyway. There's no need to rush the process, particularly before birth.

Answer 7

in the adventure that they are on her ears... i don't think of the toddler would also listen it. If its on her abdomen... properly the sound does get muffled and headphones can in reality get so loud... i do not quite imagine too a lot damage will be performed if except you're making it quite loud.

Answer 8

yeh i heard the same thing, also if the baby is in breech postion before birth if you play the music it will turn around appreantly

Answer 9

well, I don't like classical music... So when I was pregnant I don't listen any classical music... Just whatever I like....

Answer 10

People say it does but good all rock n roll aint any worse for them.