When you were pregnant, there were probably times when you would put your favorite music on and dance around for your baby, imagining him or her moving to the beat inside of you. Or perhaps you used headphones to place that music directly on your abdomen, intent on instilling a love of music in your little one.
But now that your baby is here, how often are you using the same music to soothe, entertain, and even enlighten him or her?
We know that babies respond to music, and that the sound of mommy singing can often be one of their favorite things to hear. Songs they have heard their entire lives can bring a smile to their face, and lullabies have proven again and again to be perfect for lulling a little one to sleep.
We know all these benefits, but did you know that music is sometimes used to help premature babies gain weight? Or that babies who have had music as part of their therapy are often released from the hospital sooner?
Music can have an incredibly stimulating effect on little ones, but will music make baby smarter?
Well, the answer to that is, we don’t know. Various studies have found various results for the effects of music and intellectual development in older children, but nothing definitive has come about regarding infants, music, and resulting IQ levels.
That said, we do know that music absolutely influences brain development. And some research has found that babies as young as 2 months old can start to recognize melodies.
So will music make your baby smarter? We don’t know for sure, but it certainly can’t hurt. And the benefits of music far outweigh any drawbacks to having a soundtrack to your life. Those benefits extend to you, too, in case you didn’t realize it. Music is uplifting, and dancing around the house with your little one to your favorite tunes is sure to bring a smile to your face.
So turn the radio on, hum the lullaby you’ve been singing since your baby was born, and put together a new baby mix CD to play whenever you and your baby are driving in the car. You can also try playing the lullaby songs in our Baby+ App. These lullabies are specially selected to make your baby feel relaxed.
Instil a love of music in your baby, and you just might find that they are someday smarter, happier, and more well-rounded because of it.
But even if they are exactly the person they otherwise would have been without the music, you’ll still have some pretty special memories because of it.
Written by Leah Campbell, infertility advocate, adoptive mama, writer and editor. Find me @sifinalaska on Twitter.
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.
