28th Annual Student Research Conference
The Powerfully Positive Effect of Therapeutic Music on the Physiological, Psychological and Intellectual Development of Infants
Esther Chu
Dr. David McKamie, Faculty Mentor
Music has a powerfully positive effect on the physiological, psychological and intellectual development of infants. Even in the womb, fetuses are especially sensitive to melodic contour, in both music and language, by the last trimester of pregnancy as surrounding noises penetrate into the acoustical intrauterine environment of a mothers womb. They are born with the ability to sense specifics about the melodic patterns they have heard in their fetal environment. The nature of the particular type of music, however, affects the infants preferences. Infant listeners prefer the stable pitch and tempo of a mothers singing, thus strengthening emotional bonds between mother and child. Therapeutic music has been found to show positive influences in the physiological and developmental functions of premature infants. Not only does it lower the heart rate of premature infants, thus increasing the level of oxygen saturation, but it also improves the self-regulation of the infants sucking pattern.
Keywords: Music, Infants, Therapeutic, Melodic, Emotional, Physiological, Psychological, Development
Topic(s):Interdisciplinary
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 211-2
Location: MG 2090
Time: 11:15