Babies can Recognize Mothers’ Voice Much before Birth: Study

Study finds children start learning much before their birth.

Researchers at the University of Florida's College of Nursing found fetuses start responding to mothers' voices within 34 weeks of pregnancy. Their study involved 32 expectant mothers with English as their native language who were asked to recite nursery rhymes aloud for almost six days. The participants followed this instruction from 28 to 34 weeks of pregnancy and underwent tests at regular intervals to note babies' heart rate, reports the Health Day News.

The experts played voice clippings of the mothers' rhyme recitals followed by an audio of unfamiliar voice. It was observed that babies' heart rates slowed whenever they heard their mother's voice and this familiarity developed by 34 weeks of pregnancy. At week 38, the babies began responding to rhyme recital by a stranger and had increased heart rate when they heard new voices and new rhymes.

"The mother's voice is the predominant source of sensory stimulation in the developing fetus. This research highlights just how sophisticated the third trimester fetus really is and suggests that a mother's voice is involved in the development of early learning and memory capabilities. This could potentially affect how we approach the care and stimulation of the preterm infant," said Charlene Krueger, nursing researcher and associate professor in the University of Florida's College of Nursing, reports the Health Day News.

The authors believe the study is important in understanding how quickly children can learn and retain the skills they picked up before birth even without being exposed to rhymes every day. They add these findings also help design strategies to use mother's voices to prevent pre-term birth before 37 weeks.

"What it really shows is how sophisticated the interaction is between a mother and her infant," Krueger said, reports the Reuters.