Music And Your Baby (Newborn to 1 year)

Can listening to music benefit my child?

Definitely. Think about how music affects you — how an upbeat tune fends off the blues and soft music helps you fall asleep. Your baby is no different. Lullabies have a proven track record for soothing infants — ask any parent who has resorted to singing them when the baby wakes up at 2 o'clock in the morning. "I remember rocking my son to sleep to the tune of 'Snuggle Up,' " says Rich Ham-Kucharski of Canton, Michigan, father of Alex. "When we didn't play music, he would fight sleep."

Music may even help strengthen premature babies. Researchers from Brigham Young University studied the effects of music on 33 premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo. Cassette players piped voices of men and women singing lullabies into each baby's isolette for 40 minutes a day for four days. When doctors examined the babies on the fourth day, they found that babies who were exposed to music gained more weight, and had lower blood pressure and a stronger heartbeat.

Music can benefit you, too. It has the power to lift your spirits, soothe your frayed nerves, and move you to dance. And music helps with bonding. Imagine the joy you'll share with your child when you sway to the beat of a lovely melody (try Stevie Wonder's "You Are the Sunshine of My Life"). Or how soothing it will be for you and your baby when you sing him a lilting lullaby ("Hush Little Baby" is always a winner).

Can music make my baby smarter?
The jury's still out on this question because not much research is available. Some experts claim that learning to play an instrument makes kids smarter in math, but that conclusion is based on research that focused on older children, not babies and young toddlers. For instance, one study found that piano lessons may enhance children's spatial reasoning skills (the ability to understand three-dimensional space), but experts tested only 3- and 4-year-olds.

Babies seem to be able to tell a melody from speech, even if they aren't sophisticated enough to know anything about music. For example, Norman Weinberger, a cognitive sciences and psychology professor at the University of California at Irvine, says in one study, babies as young as 4 months old seemed to know when researchers played the "Happy Birthday" song incorrectly.

What are the best ways to make music a part of my child's life?

• Instead of the television, make the stereo, or a musical instrument, the most important fixture in your home. "You're sowing a seed," says Rosalie Pratt, a professor of music medicine at Brigham Young University. Dance around with your baby to a jazzy tune, and snuggle in for a love song. Think of your family's daily life as a movie that needs a soundtrack. Having songs playing all the time will help cultivate your child's interest in music, she explains, so that as he grows, he'll have an ear for it.

• Play music at bedtime. Associate specific songs with the end of the day to train your child to sleep. Keep the sound and tempo slow, and the room darkened. But avoid putting on a go-to-sleep tape and leaving the room so your baby can fall asleep to it. "When the songs end, your baby may wake up and need you to come in to start the music up again," says psychologist Jodi Mindell, a Philadelphia pediatric sleep expert and author of Sleeping Through the Night: How Infants, Toddlers, and Their Parents Can Get a Good Night’s Sleep. Instead, play a few songs for your child then turn the tape or CD player off before he falls asleep.

• Sing to your baby. Don't worry about how you sound — your child won't critique your technique and will love the effort and attention. Your renditions shouldn't be limited to lullabies — sing songs during playtime, too. Stack a tower of blocks and knock it down as you croon "London Bridge." Even a simple game of peekaboo can become musical theater when you sing the words out loud. Make funny faces and gestures to keep your child engaged.

• Let your child make his own music. Your child may also enjoy banging on a drum, piano, or xylophone, but only for the fun of it at this age. Children don't benefit from playing an instrument until they're at least 3 years old. That's when brain circuits for music training begin to mature.

Is there a type of music that's best for a child?
Let your personal preferences be your guide. If you like classical music and your baby appears to enjoy it too, go with that. Play your favorite songs (schmaltzy or not), or spice things up with Brazilian or African tunes. Anything with a good melody will do, although slow songs may work best for bedtime and fast ones for playtime.

You may want to stay away from head-banging rock, grunge music, or rap. Animal studies show that constant exposure to chaotic, discordant music alters the brain's structure, says Dr. Pratt. Even plants seem to abhor this type of music. Pratt says ivy growing on a home where classical music was played all day long flourished better than that on houses where occupants blasted hard rock. When it comes to playing tunes for your kids, think cheerful and simple.

The bottom line
Your goal should be to cultivate a love for music in your child, not to create the next Mozart. It should be about having fun and exposing your child to new sounds and rhythms.

Take your cues from your baby. Does he seem to enjoy what you play for him? Does he become animated when you belt out a certain tune? Follow his lead, and chances are you'll raise a music lover for life.

source from http://www.babycenter.com