Violin Music Improves Fetal Development

From a study by Lafuente, M. J., Grifol, R., Segerra, J., Soriano, J., Gorba, M. A., & Montesinos, A.:

Procedure: One-hundred-seventy-two maternity patients who were enrolled in a birth preparation course participated in this study. The mothers were separated into experimental and control groups. For an average of seventy hours from about twenty-eight weeks to the end of pregnancy, the mothers in the experimental group wore small speakers attached to a waistband and connected to a tape player that played a series of eight tapes of violin sounds. After the births of their babies, all of the mothers charted the onset of their infants’ behaviors from zero to six months utilizing the Observational Scale of Development.
Results: The behaviors of the experimental-group babies were significantly advanced compared to the behaviors of the control-group babies. The experimental-group babies were superior in gross and fine motor activities, linguistic development, some aspects of body-sensory coordination, and certain cognitive behaviors. [emphasis added]

black and white photograph of Yehudi Menuhin at left, looking down at his daughter in her crib, wrapped in a blanket, and playing violin. Behind him are a dresser, lamps, and a painting on the wall.

Violinist Yehudi Menuhin, Playing the Violin for His New Baby Daughter in Hotel Room
Hansel Mieth


Yet another in a series of studies on music, fetal development, and its consequences for the first year of life. Here we have violin music, and since violins are used largely in classical music, it seems safe to infer that playing classical violin music, such as violin sonatas and concertos, will positively affect infant development.
So load up those music players with some classical music and let your child listen!

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