Studies show that fetuses can hear and react to sound from as early as 20 weeks and begin active listening by the 24th week. Researcher Michele Clements found that playing a lullaby, or calming music by Vivaldi and Mozart soothed 4 to 5 month-old fetuses but loud and discordant music disturbed and upset them.
The sense of hearing is the most developed of all senses before birth. French pioneer Dr. French pioneer Alfred Tomatis states the ear is "the Rome of the body, because almost every cranial nerve leads to it". He says, the ear is far more than just an instrument for hearing, or an organ for maintaining balance. The ear acts as a generator of energy for the brain that gives a cortical charge which is distributed throughout the body. This charge tones up the whole system imparting greater dynamism to the human being. Therefore proper pre-natal sound stimulation leads to better verbal, listening and thinking skills. He discovered that songbirds hatched by silent foster mothers can't sing.
Renowned violinist Yehudi Menuhin believes his musical ability is partly due to constant exposure to music before he was born.
The heartbeat of a four-month-old fetus accelerates if exposed to loud sounds. A Japanese study discovered pregnant women who lived near Osaka airport had a greater incidence of premature births and delivered smaller babies. Chronic noise has also been linked to birth defects.
Babies remember music they hear in the womb more than a year later. Some mothers find that playing the same calming music they listened to before the baby was born calms the baby after birth.
When playing music for your unborn child it's important that the music is not too loud. It doesn't have to be a lullaby or classical music. Ballads or smooth jazz are just as good. Whatever you enjoy, as long as it isn't loud or discordant is fine.
Studies show that constant exposure to aggressive, discordant music negatively alters the brains structure. Even plants suffer when exposed to this sort of music.
So if you are pregnant there are 3 types of music that you must avoid – Rap, Grunge and Hard Rock. If you are a fan of these styles of music and you really don't want to give up listening, then put on headphones and listen to your heart's content. But, when you turn on the stereo or the car radio, stick to gentle melodies and beautiful harmonies. Your baby will thank you.