Chatting to your baby bump might feel a little silly at first, but a new study shows that it could give your baby better language skills.
Harvard Medical School researchers now believe that the sound of a mother’s voice is directly connected to the growth of the auditory cortex, the language centre of the brain, in her baby.
In a study, 40 babies who were born prematurely were separated into two groups. In one group, the babies were played a recording of their mother’s voice and heartbeat. The second group listened only to normal background noise.
After one month, scans revealed that the babies who were played recordings of their mother’s voices had a more developed auditory cortex.
While the latest research revealed some interesting findings, speaking and singing to babies in the womb is not a new idea. WombSong devotees choose one song to sing to their developing baby throughout gestation and even immediately following birth. For an idea of what your baby can hear from inside the womb, click here.
This video shows the incredible calming affect a familiar voice and tune can have on a newborn.
