Music as a stimulus for unborn babies
Music stimulates important human brain structures and improves neurological development. That’s why pediatricians recommend that children grow up in environments with lots of stimuli, including music; what if you could start now? Thanks to Babypod, children can start enjoying the pleasure of music before they are even born.
Moreover, music stimulates communication and language, the way of expressing oneself and the coordination of movements. All this is necessary for life in society.
Thanks to Babypod, children start their vocalisation movements in the womb.
What music do foetuses prefer? Do they respond equally to all music? After completing the study with Bach flute music, Institut Marquès is investigating other types of music and sounds and is observing very different responses. They are currently analysing the response in terms of the proportion of foetuses that
The scientific study of Institut Marqués How was the scientific study conducted? The study focused on getting the foetus to perceive a higher intensity of sound. To do this, we designed Babypod to deliver music from the mother’s vagina. The study was carried out on pregnant patients at our centre
Music and foetal stimulation Discovery on foetal stimulation with music via the vagina For the first time we know that foetuses hear from 16 weeks (11 centimetres) and that sounds from outside reach them as distorted whispers. We have discovered the formula for them to hear as we do, so
What does music do to the brain? The brain and music The nucleus accumbens is formed by a group of brain neurons whose stimulation produces dopamine, a substance that makes us feel wellbeing. The nucleus accumbens is the centre where we experience the sensation of reward and it is also the pleasure centre;
The music Why music? Music is a creation, a human invention, we live with it daily; where does it come from? Why did we invent it? On the origin of music and its effects in humans, there are different theories and contributions, based on scientific studies, all very interesting and holding different
We know that the inner ear is fully developed at week 16 of gestation, but until now medical literature could only confirm a functioning auditory system from week 26. This research study shows for the first time that the fetus begins hearing at week 16.
The fetus receives sounds from inside the mother's body, such as her heartbeat, breathing and intestinal activity. It also perceives sounds the mother makes, such as when she is speaking or walking with high heels, in addition to other external sounds.
The fetus is well-protected from noise. The fact that it is living in a soundproof environment means that perceived sounds are distorted, as has been shown in research done on sheep using intrauterine microphones. According to this research, the majority of sounds are perceived as whispers (around 30 decibels), while the motherís voice during normal conversation (60 decibels) is barely discerned at all (24 decibels).
And, as most sounds are repetitive, the fetus becomes accustomed to them and does not react. They do not prevent the fetus from sleeping.
We could say that the sounds heard in utero are like the background rustles heard in a forest.
It is only possible through a single route, the vaginal route.
The vagina is a closed space, so sound is not dispersed into the environment. In addition, there are fewer layers of soft tissue separating the baby from the sound source, only the vaginal and uterine walls. By placing a speaker in the vagina, the barrier of the abdominal wall is removed and the baby can hear the sounds almost as loudly and clearly as they are emitted.
Before the scan, the pregnant patient inserted the intravaginal device designed for the study, which emits an average sound intensity of 54 decibels (equivalent to a conversation in low voices or background music).
87% of fetuses reacted with non-specific head and limb movements, accompanied by specific mouth and tongue movements which stopped when the music stopped. Likewise, with intravaginal music, nearly 50% of fetuses reacted with a striking movement, opening their jaw very wide and sticking out their tongue as far as it would go.
A set of headphones which emitted music with an average intensity of 98.6 decibels (equivalent to an ambulance siren or music in a nightclub) were placed on the pregnant womanís abdomen.
No changes were observed in fetal facial expression during this part of the study.
As we are looking at a response and not simply a reflex, the reaction of the fetus depends on multiple factors, which is why it is different each time. It varies depending on the neuronal activity of the brain stem at that particular moment, which means that the response could depend on the sleep phase the fetus is in or blood sugar levels. For example, when we sing to a baby, the response differs depending on whether the child is hungry, thirsty or sleepy.
