Attention all parents! Playing music to your babies can help boost their brains, a new study has claimed.
The research, undertaken by University of Washington researchers Christina Zhao and Patricia Kuhl, suggested that babies exposed to music were mentally sharper than those not.
As part of the study, the scientists researched the brain responses of two sets of babies who each underwent different types of active play. Half were subject to activities with toys while the other half were made to listen to recordings of children’s music and led in tapping out in beats in time.
The findings show the babies in the group exposed to music in the study had a better ability to respond to the disruptions in the rhythms of the music and speech patterns.
Patricia Kuhl, co-author of the study, said: ‘Infants experience a complex world in which sounds, lights and sensations vary constantly. The baby’s job is to recognize the patterns of activity and predict what’s going to happen next.
‘Pattern perception is an important cognitive skill, and improving that ability early may have long-lasting effects on learning.’
Read the full report on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences website.
The research, undertaken by University of Washington researchers Christina Zhao and Patricia Kuhl, suggested that babies exposed to music were mentally sharper than those not.
As part of the study, the scientists researched the brain responses of two sets of babies who each underwent different types of active play. Half were subject to activities with toys while the other half were made to listen to recordings of children’s music and led in tapping out in beats in time.
The findings show the babies in the group exposed to music in the study had a better ability to respond to the disruptions in the rhythms of the music and speech patterns.
Patricia Kuhl, co-author of the study, said: ‘Infants experience a complex world in which sounds, lights and sensations vary constantly. The baby’s job is to recognize the patterns of activity and predict what’s going to happen next.
‘Pattern perception is an important cognitive skill, and improving that ability early may have long-lasting effects on learning.’
Read the full report on the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences website.
