Scientists have found evidence that classical music can calm the heart rate of unborn babies, potentially offering development benefits.
The American Institute of Physics has published research from a multidisciplinary team in Mexico studying the effect of classical music on a fetal heart rate. They used mathematical analysis tools to identify models of variability in heart rate.
Typical cardiac frequency measurements are on average several beats over several seconds, while “variability in heart rate” measures time between beats.
The research team explained that the measure can give an overview of the maturation of the fetal autonomic nervous system, with greater variability often indicating a healthier development.
To test the effects that music can have on the fetal heart rate, the team has recruited 36 pregnant women in Mexico and played a pair of classic pieces for their unborn babies – The swan By the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns and Arpa de Oro by the Mexican composer Abundio Martínez.
By attaching external heart rate monitors, the research team could measure the fetal response to the heart rate for both songs. And, using a non -linear recurrence quantification analysis, they could identify changes in heart rate variability during and after reading music.
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“Overall, we have discovered that exposure to music resulted in more stable and predictable fetal heart rate models,” said Dr. Claudia Lerma, of the National Cardiology Institute in Mexico, co- author The published study.
“This momentary effect could stimulate the development of the fetal autonomic nervous system.”
For future parents at home, researchers suggest that classical music could help promote fetal development.
“Our results suggest that these changes in the dynamics of fetal heart rate occur instantly in short -term fluctuations, so that parents can consider exposing their fetuses to silent music,” said the author’s teacher of the study, Eric Abarca-Castro.
“Parents who play soothing music can stimulate and benefit the fetal autonomous system.”
The authors plan to continue to explore this effect, by examining different genres and types of music to deepen their understanding.
“To determine whether rhythmic or cultural variations cause distinct fetal heart responses, we intend to increase the size of our sample and extend our survey to include a variety of musical styles beyond classic pieces”, explains the co-author, Dr. José Reyes-Lagos.
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