There are many benefits that the music in embryos located in their mother’s womb.
Music has been- for a long time for future parents- a way to connect with their children to the womb. A team of researchers found indications that music can calm the fetal heartbeat by offering, possibly, development benefits.
The study, published in Chaos magazine, involved 36 pregnant women and scientists chose two classic pieces to play, the “The Swan” of French composer Camille Sen-Sans and the “ARPA de Oro” of Mexican composer Abudio Martinez. With the connection of external heart rate surveillance devices, the researchers were able to measure the fetal heart rate response to both songs and identify changes in heart rate variability during and after music reproduction.
The research team used mathematical analysis tools to identify patterns in heart rate variability, an indicator that measures the time between individual pulse. This element can provide information to mature the fetal autonomic nervous system, with the highest variability often suggesting healthy growth.
“Overall, we discovered that the exhibition of music resulted in more stable and predictable fetal heart rate patterns. We assume that this instant impact could stimulate the development of the fetal autonomic nervous system, “says author Claudia Lerma from the National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chavez in Mexico.
In addition to the overall effects of music, the researchers also examined the differences between the two classic compositions and found that while both were effective, the Mexican guitar melody in the second composition had a stronger effect. “Factors such as rhythmic characteristics, melodic structure or cultural familiarity can be linked to this differentiation,” explains author Eric Alonso Abarka-Kastro, Assistant Professor at the Metropolitan Autonomous University in Mexico.
The authors of the study intend to continue the research by examining different genres and types of music to further understand their impact.