Swiss researchers recently concluded that the soothing sound of the flute has the potential to help develop the brains of premature babies. This could be a lifeline for the current situation in the UK and Switzerland, where preterm birth rates are close to 1%, including cases as young as 32 weeks. Thanks to new health care technology and medical development, the ability to survive premature birth is increasingly improved, but the issue worth mentioning here is the brain development of babies after premature birth.
Experts say that the brain of the fetus while in the womb will be greatly influenced by the surrounding environment, including the mental state of the pregnant mother. Noisy and stressful environments have the most influence on the brain of the fetus, thereby easily becoming a premise for neurological symptoms later.
This question, however, may already have an answer.
A team of experts from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the University of Medicine and Pharmacy (HUG) is currently working on a new idea to use soothing music as a remedy for babies. Composer Andreas Vollenweider was very supportive of this idea and began to explore composing with the goal of creating a type of music most suitable for children. He experimented by playing a variety of musical instruments to assess which children liked to hear the most, and there was always a nurse nearby to assist when needed.
Lara Lordier, a research fellow at UNIGE and HUG universities, said: “The melody that caught the baby’s attention the most was the punk, which is a common trumpet used to lure snakes. The fussy babies immediately stopped and listened. listen to music”. Vollenweider immediately composed 3 songs using pungi, harp and bells that could be changed for the children to hear. The researchers also used FMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technology to monitor and found that babies who listened to these tunes had more developed brain function than infants who didn’t. listening to music.
The first research results published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) show that the brain activity of children who listen to music is stronger, helping to enhance cognitive function and organize information to improve learning, cognition, and other behavioral manifestations.
The first child of the current study program was 6 years old. This is the age at which neurological impairments, if any, are most apparent, helping researchers assess the effectiveness of this approach.