Music and Pregnancy

The educational system in Hong Kong is now known as one of the best in the world!  Education in Hong Kong has a similar system to that of the United Kingdom, also extremely competitive by global standards.  Many researchers and academicians feel the advantage of being educated in Hong Kong versus other countries throughout the world lies in the age learning is perceived to begin. Most parents in Hong Kong (and much of Asia) feel learning begins at conception instead of preschool.  This belief is based upon more than 50 years of national research and the experiences of thousands of parents.  Parents in Hong Kong believe that when it comes to brain development an early start is far better than later.    Out of Hong Kong are fabulous resources like Neuroacademi and Brill Kids.  Products such as The BabyPlus Prenatal Education System provide enriched auditory environments for the prenatal child are widely used by expectant moms in Hong Kong.  These mothers understand the amount of brain development going on in the womb.  They want to do all they can to ensure they take advantage of every opportunity each window of development offers.  Parents in Hong Kong have read the studies regarding the importance of early auditory stimulation and truly don’t want to miss this limited opportunity for better early brain development. 

Another popular trend being embraced by many families in Hong Kong is early reading. Many children in Hong Kong are reading by age three while four out of ten American 8-year olds can’t read proficiently.  Studies show that kids with the ability to read early also learn early.   A world of knowledge opens up for these children once they are able to read and later comprehend. 

Music lessons are also considered an important part of early learning and development.  The emphasis on education is not simply about rote knowledge and better test performance but more about helping children develop critical thinking skills at the first moment possible, in the womb.  This is truly a population who has embraced the idea of offering their children every advantage for better brain development from conception to university and beyond.  Also, popular in Hong Kong is an International Education featuring full language immersion from early preschool through University.   Foreign language immersion like music education has been proven to be a wonderful way to offer a child an enriched environment which encourages better critical thinking skills and intellectual capabilities. 

It’s often overwhelming for expectant or new parents to navigate the muddied waters especially in the wake of the recent negative campaign against early reading educational products in the US.  Early learning is being encouraged all over the world and many of these same products are purchased and used all over the world!  As an expectant mother and the current mom of two little boys I wanted to give my kids every advantage possible.  I read, I researched and I made informed decisions.  Yes, my boys are in music lessons and yes they were both enrolled in an International School by age 3.  I’m also giving my baby the benefit of auditory enrichment while in the womb just like so many moms all over the world.  I’m not pushing my children and I’m certainly not a “Tiger Mom”.  I’m just placing opportunities to learn and thrive before my kids. 

 People in the US have their kids on the soccer field by age 3 or in swimming lessons (all of which encourage and require financial investment on the part of the consumer).  We fully accept these commercialized practices in the United States, but where the rest of the world seems to be ahead of us continues to be in the development of the mind. “We know the baby brain, not the 6-year old brain, has special language capacities.” says Dr. Richard Gentry, the author of Raising Confident Readers, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Write-from Baby to Age 7  Gentry also mentioned in and article for Psychology Today, “ Many researchers point to babies and toddlers likely beginning as right brain readers.  These sight readers pick up reading as easily as they pick up three languages if all three languages are spoken by their caregivers between birth and age 3.” 

All parents should take the time to do their own due diligence and look at research for and against anything they plan to do during pregnancy and early childhood.  As an educated soon to be mom of three, I personally prefer to look to the experiences of other parents and published research as my compass for what products I buy or try.   When it comes to my children I ask a lot of questions and do a lot of research then I go with my gut.  It usually steers me in the right direction.  

If you’re an expectant parent interested in prenatal brain development, then this will be one of the most important articles you’ll ever read.

Here’s why…  I’m going to share with you the fascinating link between providing an enriched auditory environment during your pregnancy and the significantly enhanced development of your child’s mind.

From the moment we see a positive result on a pregnancy test; we begin to navigate the complicated world of being a parent. Almost immediately, the barrage of advertising messages and opinions from well-meaning friends and family can often cause confusion about what is best for our baby.   I am doing what I did throughout my first two pregnancies; getting educated about what will make a difference and then going with my gut!  Pregnancy (though it seems to drag on forever) is a relatively short period in your baby’s long life of learning and development.  Take the time to look at the latest research about early cognition and prenatal brain development. 

We know so much more now about prenatal brain development than ever before.  It’s really exciting to be armed with powerful information about things like DHA and the importance of an enriched prenatal auditory environment.  No matter how you choose to communicate with your baby, after week 18 he’ll be listening and likely hungry for more.  Babies with an enriched nurturing auditory environment often show an increased ability to self-soothe and are more responsive at birth.  Later, parents of these same children report to have improved school readiness and longer attention spans.   

Fetal Brain Development

Experience is an essential component of prenatal brain development.   A prenatal child's specific experiences determine which connections are strengthened and expanded, and which connections are eliminated. 

• Connections that are used repeatedly become stronger. 
• Connections that are not used are eventually lost to pruning. 
• Repetition is important because it provides the child with multiple opportunities to strengthen connections and enhance prenatal brain development.

It also is important that experiences be enriching. A prenatal child should have regular opportunities to experience sounds that are new and different. These experiences should be challenging, but not overwhelming, just a step beyond what he can already do.  Your womb truly is the perfect classroom! A developmentally appropriate set of sounds that introduce patterns of rhythm to the baby similar to the maternal heartbeat are most likely to make the biggest impact on his/her prenatal brain development...  As a baby discriminates the simple rhythmic sounds from those of his mother, auditory learning begins.

The human brain begins forming very early in prenatal life (just three weeks after conception), but in many ways, brain development is a lifelong project. That is because the same events that shape the brain during development are also responsible for storing information—new skills and memories—throughout life. The major difference between prenatal brain development in the womb versus learning at a later age is a matter of degree: the brain is far more impressionable (neuroscientists use the term plastic) in early life than in maturity. This plasticity has both a positive and a negative side. On the positive side, it means that young children's brains are more open to learning and enriching influences.

Bilingualism in Babies Starts in the Womb

A recent joint study from Canadian and French researchers finds infants born to bilingual mother’s exhibit different language preferences than infants born to moms who speak only one language.  Bilingualism has been linked to a variety of positive cognitive benefits, including early ready, better critical think skills and longer attention spans.  Now we know what the baby experiences in his prenatal environment truly matters to the prenatal brain development in this small window of opportunity.  The study was published in the January 29, 2010, journal  Psychological Science.  Many expectant parents are not bilingual or have a preference for only one language thus never exposing baby to this important auditory enrichment.  The one consistently heard sound in the prenatal environment 24 hours 7 days a week is the mom’s heart beat.  Based on more than 23 years of scientific research the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System provides a patented curriculum that introduces a developing baby to learning in the only true and consistent language of the prenatal environment, a language based on the maternal heartbeat.  Studies show that a fetus does recognize the maternal heartbeat and can differentiate progressive versions of that sound.  Much like early language immersion, the simple, naturally derived lessons are the most effective at strengthening a lifetime of strong learning.  This early advantage during prenatal brain development means children will be able to absorb and appreciate far more of their environment than if they had not received this prenatal enrichment.  This might also be a fabulous time to turn your car into a “university on wheels” and begin a language course.  I am a big fan of Rosetta stone but there are many great options on the market. 

When it comes to IQ  - environment matters

You have probably heard the phrase nature versus nurture. It tends to pop up whenever we gain some new insight into prenatal brain development. Has some aspect of personality or intelligence come about as a result of genes and part of our inborn nature? Or because of the influence of parents, teachers, or other aspects of the environment that nurtured us?  The answer is both. 

In a study published in 2008 UCLA researchers found about 85 percent of the variation in white matter in the parietal lobe, which is involved in mathematics, logic, and visual-spatial skills, can be attributed to genetics. Only about 45 percent of the variation in the temporal lobe, which plays a central role in learning and memory, appears to be inherited.  This is the same part of the brain most impacted by an enriched auditory environment early in prenatal brain development.  Being armed with this knowledge is empowering to expectant parents all over the world.  A well-organized brain has well-functioning myelin, in which water can be seen clearly moving along specific paths. "Diffusion imaging gives a picture of how intact your brain connections are," says Paul Thompson, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who lead the study. 

Fetal Response to outside stimuli

Another important study came from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hua Chiew Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand.  The study focused on the fetal response to outside stimuli and assessed the capacity of the fetus’ memory and learning in various senses.  Researchers trained 120 pregnant mothers to practice the prenatal activity of auditory enrichment.  They used a heartbeat sound, music and rhythmic patting and rocking. The below results provide further reinforcement that giving baby an enriched auditory environment before birth really can make a difference in prenatal brain development:

 The clinical data and the evaluation sheet for analysis of fetal response and learning to prenatal activity were assessed in term of always, frequent, sometime, seldom and never response. The outcome of these samples demonstrated that 87.5% of experimental infants can recognize maternal voice and 70% recognize to prenatal music. They calm down significantly when giving a prenatal music, heart beat sound, rhythmic patting and rocking pattern which they ever received during in utero. This suggests that fetus can learn variety of sensory stimuli even before birth and these previous experiences they received in utero during this important prenatal brain development period may influence postnatal learning and perception. Experimental infants have a capacity of turning to voice only at 4.6 days in average while the general population turn to voice at 3.2 month. This means that they have a faster auditory development and learning than general population. In addition, they can be conditioned by kicking back when they were pat in 64.9%. The results confirm our belief that fetus have a capacity of conditional learning during the prenatal brain development stage. The study also showed better performance in relation between mother and child after participated the prenatal activity. These findings suggest that prenatal activity here may be introduced to routine prenatal care and may be an effective way to enhance mother and child attachment, as well as promote infant's intelligent and emotional development.

Dr. Susan Ludington-Hoe states in her book How to Have a Smarter Baby, “Infant stimulation accelerates a baby’s mental ability and increases a child’s skills in finding ways to stimulate himself.”

More evidence prenatal brain development can be impacted by environment

In a study designed to create an enriched environment for prenates by minimizing environmental stressors and substituting a positive, stimulating milieu, researchers designed a program that would reduce maternal stress with visualization and relaxation exercises, encourage mother-child bonding through prenatal communication and interaction exercises, and pleasantly stimulate prenatal auditory, tactile, visual and vestibular processes. Results from 150 pregnant women in the enrichment program compared to 100 pregnant women in a control group showed that infant head circumference, as an analog of prenatal brain development in the enriched group was significantly larger than that of the control group. Moreover, most dimensions on the Denver assessment scales showed earlier acquisition of gross and fine motor skills, language, and personal-social development by the enriched group compared to sample norms of Bangkok children.  Dr. Panthuraamphorn's research in creating positive and stimulating prenatal environments spans a number of studies with colleagues Dawiep Dookchitra and Manit Sanmaneechai who were co-researchers in a 1995 study focusing on auditory stimulation

DHA in Pregnancy: Should you Supplement?

DHA (or docosahexaenoic acid) an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil helps build your baby’s brain, nervous system, and eyes.  “Omega -3s are a specific type of fate that our body needs but cannot make,” says Melinda Johnson, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.  A baby in utero needs to get these fats from its mother for better prenatal brain development.  Researchers at the School of Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Western Australia found that two years after birth, the children whose mothers had received a high dose of fish oil in the 2^nd half of pregnancy, one of the important stages in prenatal brain development, had higher scores in tests of their hand-eye coordination.  Another interesting study from the University of Oslo in Norway, found four year olds scored better on IQ tests if their mothers took DHA supplements during pregnancy.  .

How much DHA do you need?

Your brain is made up of about 60% omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil. And your baby's brain is about 70% of these acids. But studies show, you're probably deficient in them. In fact, most Westerners don't get enough of these important nutrients. According to the Journal of Perinatal Medicine, pregnant or lactating women need 200 mg of DHA a day.  Researchers are still evaluating the best possible sources for DHA.  Readily available sources are salmon, sardines, walnuts, eggs and milk.  If you would rather take a DHA supplement many researchers suggest you go for the one derived from algae rather than fish oil. (Then you will be getting your DHA just as the fish do; their source is marine algae.) Look for high levels of DHA. This is the "building block" of your child's prenatal brain development and is found in omega 3 fatty acids. Nevertheless, not all fish oil blends have a high amount of this important nutrient. The bottle will tell you how much DHA is in the product. Remember always consult with your obstetrician before making any changes to your prenatal routine. 

Prenatal auditory enrichment and DHA -  a winning combination for prenatal brain development

Prenatal learning and auditory enrichment is as vital to prenatal brain development as a prenatal vitamin is to enriching a baby’s physical development.  The BabyPlus Prenatal Education System offers developmental benefits that last a lifetime.  Moms everywhere are singing the praises of this prenatal system.  Celebrity moms like Nicole Richie and Gwen Stefani, just to name a few, have worn BabyPlus Prenatal Systems during pregnancy.  It is universal when a mom finds something that works for her she tells all of her friends.  It is the one thing women from every corner of the world have in common; we all want what is best for our children.  The BabyPlus Prenatal Education System is the only product of its kind on the market.   The system offers parents the opportunity to give their baby a head start while at the same time bonding with baby in a meaningful way.

A recent survey shows BabyPlus babies reach cognitive and developmental milestones ahead of recorded averages.  A survey of more than 350 BabyPlus parents indicates the majority of BabyPlus babies are calm and alert at birth. The survey also shows babies of parents, who used the BabyPlus educational system during pregnancy, sleep through the night, say their first words and take their first steps earlier than recorded averages for those milestones. In this first formal survey of BabyPlus parents, 84 percent of respondents said their baby was calm at birth and 96 percent said their baby was alert at birth.  In reaching their earliest developmental milestones, 68 percent of respondents said their children were sleeping more than six ours in a row by the age of three months compared to a four month average for infants; 48 percent reported their child said their first word by the age of six months compared to an average age of nine months; and 76 percent said their children took first steps before the age of 12 months compared to the a 12-15 month average.  In addition 98 percent of respondents described their baby as having an overall good disposition.   

BLOG By Lisa Jarrett, President, BabyPlus Prenatal, LLC

Educators and health professionals alike have long stressed the importance of cognitive development for children ages zero to three.  While this period of development is undeniably crucial, it is important to note that a baby’s brain actually begins to form cells during the third week of pregnancy – a time when the brain is also open to stimulation and learning and a time when such an enriched environment is absolutely necessary in every regard.

During weeks 13-16, a child’s first brain waves become detectable a connection-building process that persists at breakneck speed through the first few years of life. Most moms-to-be who read about baby’s development will know that the baby can also begin to hear sounds in the second trimester – predominantly the constant beat of the mother’s heart, but also muffled noises that are heard outside the womb.

Learning, or cognitive development, is simply the construction of thought processes, including perception, remembering, language abilities, problem solving and decision-making. Traditionally, society has accepted the theory of cognitive development advanced by Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget in the 20th century. Piaget held that cognitive development consists of four stages throughout a person’s lifetime. The first, the sensorimotor stage, begins at birth and lasts until age two.  Now there is yet another recent study that confirms cognitive stimulation actually begins in the womb.

Researchers at the Institute for Psychology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation of the University of Amsterdam found that the auditory system is at least partly functional approximately three months before birth, and that produced beats can be distinguished and perceived in the womb by the developing baby.

Because we cannot feasibly observe behavioral reactions in the womb, the researchers studied the brain activity of neonates - newborns two to three days old. Through electrodes, the researchers measured electrical brain signals.  Several variants of a basic rock rhythm were delivered through adhesive ear-couplers worn by the newborns. When the rhythm was changed to miss the “down beat”, the babies’ brains produced an electrical response indicating that they had expected to hear that missing downbeat, but had not.

The study explains:
“So it appears that the capability of detecting beat in rhythmic sound sequences is already functional at birth.”

“Our results show that although learning by movement is probably important, the newborn auditory system is apparently sensitive to periodicities and develops expectations about when a new cycle should start (i.e., when the downbeat should occur). Therefore, although auditory perceptual learning starts already in the womb, our results are fully compatible with the notion that the perception of beat is innate.”

According to this study, simple rhythmic sounds - like those similar to the maternal heartbeat - are easiest for the unborn child to understand, if not already innate.

What we can infer through this study is that a developing baby’s brain is responsive to beats – a simple rhythm that is, developmentally, something a baby can comprehend. The maternal heartbeat, constantly heard pulsing through the placenta at 95 decibels, is a true language that a fetal baby can understand.

Music would not strengthen a baby’s cognitive development because the combined sounds, rhythms and beats are too complex, and, while the spoken word can create a bond between the parents and child before birth, speaking to an unborn child would not promote such cognitive development because the voice is soft and muffled by the amniotic fluid.

After birth, babies stimulated prenatally through simple rhythmic sounds can exhibit “a range of key differences from typical infant traits,” said Dr. Brent Logan, author of Learning Before Birth and developer of the BabyPlus curriculum– which utilizes such simple beats. Much like moms-to-be take prenatal vitamins to aid in physical development, parents report consistent benefits from using age-appropriate auditory stimulation to aid in baby’s cognitive development.

So, next time you are deciding between Mozart or a bedtime story for daddy to read to your developing baby in the womb, keep in mind that simple, repetitive rhythms are best for development. There are prenatal education systems available, and it can be anticipated that the demand for these systems will increase as more research becomes available.


 

When you are pregnant you naturally want to do everything you can for your unborn baby.  You eat right, receive proper medical care and avoid harmful elements.  A concept that is gaining more and more attention during pregnancy is the idea of prenatal learning.  Some people think that music is the way to go, some think it isn't necessary at all, and others use a prenatal curriculum such as BabyPlus. 

While music is an excellent tool after your baby is born, it is just too complex in the womb.  Sounds need to be broken down into more basic and simpler beats, such as the maternal heartbeat.  There are several studies regarding the importance of learning in the womb but as with any complex element, such as fetal development, there is still so much left to learn.  We are just tapping into the benefits.

An article at Pregnancytoday.com talks about different ways of communicating before birth.  Check it out here http://www.pregnancytoday.com/articles/facts-and-fun-resources/prenatal-learning-6435/2/.  There are some interesting viewpoints and support for learning in the womb.

A recent European study has quickly sparked interest in the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System.  The study has received some very prominent press coverage, including the front page of the USA Today (January 30, 2009).

From ScienceDaily on January 27, 2009:  "Researchers at the Institute for Psychology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation of the University of Amsterdam demonstrated that two to three day old babies can detect the beat in music.....a large European study demonstrated that beat perception is either innate or learned in the womb, as the auditory system is at least partly functional as of approximately three months before birth." 

Click on this picture to read the entire article.

Source:  Universiteit van Amsterdam. "Newborn Infants Detect The Beat In Music." ScienceDaily 27 January 2009. 11 February 2009 <http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2009/01/090127083540.htm>.

Why am I blogging about this?  Simply this reason - we know!  First, over 30 years of research is behind the BabyPlus Prenatal Education System.  Beyond that, different groups of people have been using various types of fetal stimulation for hundreds of years.  Click to read the science behind the product.

 Ideally, you may begin using the system anytime between weeks 18 and 32 of pregnancy. Mothers who have started using the system as late as 34 weeks of pregnancy have reported many positive benefits. We are the only patented system of this kind on the market today.

Click on the "Buy Now" logo to go directly to our site to purchase this set of sounds based on the mother's heartbeat.

I'm always keeping an ear out for blog ideas.  When it was snowing over the weekend, my son reminded me that no two snowflakes are alike.  I immediately went into "blog mode."  I tried to think how I could use this idea for writing about prenatal curriculum, prenatal learning or fetal development during pregnancy. 

Of course, no two pregnancies are alike and no two births or babies are alike.  This is true.  But what about focusing on what is alike?  A perfect example is your heartbeat.  This simple sound is consistent in other pregnant mothers and the main thing your baby hears throughout your pregnancy.  Sure, your baby hears voices, music and other things going on in the outside world but all in a somewhat muffled state.  Your heartbeat is heard 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and stimulates cognitive learning in the prenatal environment.  It makes sense to use another sound that is alike and additionally encourage learning during the critical stages of fetal development. 

So even though there are numerous differences in pregnancies and babies, one can agree that the mother's heartbeat is a constant across the board.  It is such a simple sound that can make such an impact on learning for a lifetime.

We have often been asked by women researching expectant mothers and pregnancy whether the BabyPlus Education Prenatal System will assist in the cognitive development of twins and triplets.  The answer to this is "yes".  We have had many mothers of twins and triplets use BabyPlus.  They have all been pleased with the results and have seen the same benefits  (enhanced infant sleeping schedule, proficiency in breast feeding, self soothing ability and improved school readiness) as the mothers of single babies.

Frequently, twins and triplets are born early and the mothers of babies who were not full term have seen amazing results.  We have had mothers of premature babies report that their babies are reaching milestones based on their birth age as opposed to their gestational age.  They have also reported shorter than average hospital stays as compared to other premature babies.

Kate White, Director of HR and Operations at the Jarrett Fertility Group writes:
"Our 15 year old fraternal twin daughters, Mary Ann and Christine, were born 5 weeks premature and have thrived since birth.  They both achieved every infant and toddler milestone on time or early.  They were both early proficient readers- before the start of kindergarten.  Their learning skills and academic strengths, kindergarten through 8th grade, were superlative.  Today, they are both High Honor students in their freshman class and are both recipients of a monetary academic scholarships based on their freshman placement tests.  In addition to academics, they are both accomplished in music (singing and piano) and are both above average athletes.  They (and their little sister Julia, also a BabyPlus beneficiary) are emotionally mature for their age.  Julia has also exhibited the same developmental attributes as the twins.  We sincerely believe that the early use of the BabyPlus curriculum helped their development and will continue to help them throughout life."

I received a Warranty Card from a customer in Hong Kong who is using the BabyPlus for the second time.  She realized that the stages of fetal development are, in fact, critical times in child development. 

She commented:

"I have been happy with BabyPlus.  I used it during my pregnancy with baby #1.  He was a calm and very alert baby.  As a toddler, he is easy going, very talkative, and bright.  His favorite past time is cars, which he lines up methodically and counts.  He also loves music and can sing many tunes.

I truly think the Babyplus is  fantastic and has contributed to my son's advanced development. At the age of about 2.3 years, he knew his alphabet and numbers. He is 2.5 years and he already knows 100 and 1000s! He can spell his own name  as well as other words and colors and he carries a great tune. Most people who meet him think he is much older than his age. He is also polite and says “no thank you and yes please”. And his attention to detail is amazing. I think the baby plus was a big contributor to all of this.

I’m now pregnant with baby #2 which is due is April and I am using the babyplus. So, it will be interesting to see if the second one is just as bright and easy going as our first baby."

I am eagerly awaiting her email once this baby is born.  Hopefully, she will be able to let me know how the BabyPlus impacted her baby during the critical period in prenatal development.

BabyPlus - not a new idea - the Chinese have been doing it for thousands of years!

We have often been asked whether the BabyPlus curriculum is a new invention.  The research behind BabyPlus was actually done over twenty years ago.  However, the concept of prenatal learning is quite old.  It has its roots in ancient Chinese culture. The Chinese did not know the scientific reasons why what they called "Taikyo" helped their infants' brain development.  But they did think that this practice was helpful during the period of prenatal development.  The following is a more scientific explanation of why auditory stimulation is important during the critical period in prenatal development.

The ancient Chinese used to perform what they called Taikyo during pregnancy.  In essence, Taikyo involved talking and singing to their unborn children and patting on their expectant tummies. All of these practices are differing forms of auditory stimulation for the prenatal child. Expectant parents believed that Taikyo would result in having a smarter baby and provide them with an intellectual and emotional head-start.  As in so many things, it now seems that the ancient Chinese knew something it would take modern science thousands of years to prove.  Parents of all cultures have talked, sung, and played music to their unborn children for centuries. For most, this has been little more than a way to bond with their child before they are born.  But science is now discovering that there are many benefits of infant stimulation. 

According to Fred J. Schwartz, M.D., "a significant amount of learning takes place in the uterus. There is no doubt that intrauterine auditory stimuli contribute a large part of this environment.  Evidence points to the fact that learning extends back into the prenatal period, and that the sounds and rhythms in the womb may contain information important to early brain development during pregnancy.  The newborn can differentiate a recording of his own mother's prenatal womb sounds from a recording of another mother." Dr. Schwartz continues, "There is a vast amount of potential information available to the fetus that can be given in the playing of just one musical note or in singing or talking a single syllable.   The content of this sound is full of information and emotion.  These communicative processes which take place before and after birth contribute to the promotion of the child's physical development, behavioral characteristics, and level of intelligence.

The (connections) in the prenatal brain, as well as the infant brain, undergo learning dependant reorganization.  This process involves synaptic pruning, the regression of neural circuits, as well as the synaptic sprouting (development of new connections) of the developing brain.”  In the normal course of prenatal events, there is a substantial reduction in neurons and synaptic connections that occurs during the last trimester as well as a more modest reduction during childhood.  This is consistent with the observation of psychologists that infants and children may have enhanced behavioral abilities that diminish later in life.  Since fetal hearing is probably the major component of this learning dependent synaptic pruning and sprouting, the prenatal child is participating in a 2nd and 3rd trimester auditory amphitheater that is perhaps more important than any other classroom."

If an increased number of neurons (brain cells) and their beginning connections (axons and dendrites) are engaged during their most plastic and receptive developmental stage - the period of prenatal development - greater strength in the structure will result, much like exercising a muscle.  The goal of prenatal stimulation is to withstand the normal process by which 75-90% of all fetal brain cells atrophy (die) before birth.  No more brain cells are ever added - once a cell atrophies it is gone forever and all the active brain cells a person will ever have are present at birth.  By reducing fetal brain cell death, prenatal stimulation results in infants being born with enhanced mental architecture - a greater amount of brain material producing brain waves that function at a significantly more mature rate. Throughout life, this early advantage means the child will be better able to absorb and appreciate far more of its environment than a child who did not receive this advantage.

Dr. Marian Diamond has demonstrated that the offspring of rats reared in an enriched prenatal environment perform significantly better than other pups.  She has also shown that the cortex of the brain is thicker in these animals than in those without prenatal enrichment.
 
"Your baby's world inside the womb prepares her for life outside by providing a wide range of experiences that are crucial to her cognitive and sensory development.  During the last trimester, she's eavesdropping on your conversations, discerning the differences between male and female voices, and monitoring your moods.  In fact, during the final months, most of your baby's movements - as well as increases in her heart rate - are in response to specific noises, touches, changes in light, and other sensations.  At 32 weeks, an unborn baby will remember a piece of music that she hears and will be able to recognize it after birth.  In fact, after listening to this tune for some time in the womb, your baby will start "keeping the beat" by moving her body in sync with the music."

"It's exactly what we're talking about, says Rob Reiner (actor, director, and founder of the I Am Your Child Foundation), noting the now-or-never importance of nurturing from the earliest times.  It's no more possible to make up for lost opportunities in early brain development than to take a 21-year-old whose growth has been stunted by malnutrition and to expect by giving him a wonderfully nutritious diet from then on to have him become a strapping 6-footer.  Electrical connections get made in the brain during these early periods that don't get made later on.  As far as anybody knows, there's no way to fix it if it's not done at the beginning."

There are a number of systems and approaches available for prenatal auditory enrichment, ranging from classical music to the prenatal curriculum developed by Dr. Brent Logan, the modern day pioneer in this field.  Dr. Logan's BabyPlus Prenatal Education System is clearly the most developmentally appropriate, scientifically advanced and well-studied approach.  Dr. Logan's research has demonstrated the extraordinary postnatal benefits of the BabyPlus curriculum:  infants are born more alert and calm; they have earlier parental voice recognition and are strong at self-soothing leading to development of better early infant sleeping schedules; these children are proficient at early breast feeding, have longer attention spans and reach developmental milestones at younger ages as measured by various infant growth assessment tests (CLAMS and Vineland Social Maturity Scale). He has also shown that these infants demonstrate improved stress management and most profoundly, enjoy improved school readiness and stronger learning proficiency later in life. Further information about the benefits of prenatal auditory enrichment is available in the book Super Baby: Boost Your Baby's Potential from Conception to Year One by Sarah Brewer, M.D. (Thorsons, London), or on the web site www.babyplus.com.

A conscientious expectant mother today is certain to provide the proper nutritional environment for her developing child during the prenatal months. With her child’s long term physical development in mind, a responsible mother takes a prenatal vitamin and makes conscientious dietary choices. Similarly, the foundation for a child’s long-term brain development is being laid during these very same months. It now seems that a child’s long-term cognitive and learning skills can indeed be strengthened by certain safe, developmentally appropriate sounds.  The optimization of a child’s earliest environment actually encompasses not the “0 to 3” years we frequently read about, but truly “prenatal to 3” years of age.

This world we live in, and more importantly the world that our children will navigate, is becoming more complex and demanding.  As a society, we are obligated to strengthen our children for the future.  The best gift we as parents can individually bestow to our children is improved early school readiness and strong learning skills for their lifetime. It is time to revisit Taikyo.