Babies and Music
Fostering Growth and Development
If you’re like most expectant mothers, you are busy reading up on what to expect once baby arrives. What should I have and how should I care for baby? Beyond the basic necessities, you will want to find the most helpful ways to foster growth and stimulate development, both physically and mentally. Studies show that music is an essential tool, just as important as ointment and bedtime reading—the three B’s of baby care—Balmex, Books, and Brahms.
Your baby has been hearing you and those around you since around 20 weeks in utero. Hearing is the first sensory system to fully develop in the womb. Thanks to research and hi-tech tools, we now know that your baby is living in an auditory playground, and when they are born, they are able to recognize your specific voice over others and turn their head. Some sounds even have been shown to change metabolism. In a hospital setting for premature babies, researchers found that playing “Brahm’s Lullabye” six times a day for five minutes produced faster weight gain than just voice sounds played on the same schedule. In fact, research shows that musical interactions actually create new pathways in the brain. During a baby’s first weeks and months, electrical connections, called synapses, develop rapidly in the brain. The number of connections and how strong they become partly depends on how much your baby’s brain is stimulated and how often a given activity is repeated. Exercising your baby’s brain in a certain way will wire those connections permanently, while those that are not exercised will fade out.
How to Enhance Your Baby’s Brain Development
Want to give your baby a brain boost? Sing to them throughout the day. Babies who were sung lullabies in a neonatal intensive care unit for 40 minutes per day actually gained more weight, had lower blood pressure, and a stronger heartbeat after only four days. Since babies also thrive on touch, you can move and dance with them to foster growth. Use lullabies to soothe your baby and to encourage these neural connections.
But what if I only know a few songs?
A wonderful way to learn new songs, rhymes and dances is to join a music class. Look for a class that uses a variety of material so that you can share traditional music with your child as well as multicultural music. While it’s great to take your child to a concert, the benefits of an interactive, participatory class and your involvement is important for their growth. Rather than sit back and watch a performance or an instructor, get involved in your child’s development and sit on the floor playing and singing and sharing in music together. You and your child will be exposed to a plethora of songs and rhymes all while interacting with other moms, dads, and caregivers with children in an environment that is playful and fun for all.
Isn’t my baby too young for a music class?
No. Babies are wired to interact and explore. A musical environment will provide and encourage these types of experiences. Just as you would not wait until your child speaks before you read a book, it is important for baby to have musical experiences before they are able to move or sing. You are an equally important component. The interaction baby has with you is crucial for their development. Playing music for them is wonderful but even better is playing music with them. Play is an essential part of their growth and any music class should be based on this type of model where the parent or caregiver is encouraged to get involved and not just watch a performance with someone playing a guitar.
I don’t know how to sing and dance!
The good news is that it doesn’t matter what you sound like or how you move, just that you do it. The connections will be made whether or not you sing in tune, but if you don’t sing at all, those connections will fade out. Your voice is the most beautiful voice your baby knows so try to imagine it from your baby’s point of view—the most beautiful face in the world is smiling at me, playing with me, singing to me, and holding me in those soft, warm and loving arms. And you, as the parent, are creating a bond through music and movement, creating loving and memorable experiences that will last a lifetime.