Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/UFtArWv0Arw Premature infants who listen to music enjoy enhanced neural development.  Swiss neuroscientists at the University of Geneva report the positive effects of specially composed and performed music on developing neural networks of premies. The musical selections varied with time of day and were designed to lend an auditory structure to the infant’s first days out of the womb.  The instruments that produced the most consistent reactions from the babies were the snake charmer’s flute, the harp, and bells. The double blind study used MRI imaging before and after the musical exposure to assess the effect.  The group of premies treated to the music showed stronger connections between the parts of their brains that perform cognitive tasks, manage social relationships, and manage emotions. If a premie has recently joined your family, consider adding lilting flute, harp, and orchestral bell music to their environments. Lara Lordier, Djalel-Eddine Meskaldji, Frédéric Grouiller, Marie