Can music help improve my baby’s intelligence?
The belief that music could improve a person’s intelligence became popular during the 1950’s, after French researcher Dr. Alfred Tomatis began studying the effects of classical music on the brain. His research led to the term the “Mozart effect,” which meant that listening to classical music could improve intelligence. According to the Mozart Effect Research Center, a study published in Nature Magazine in 1993 found that people who listened to classical music immediately before an exam scored higher on intelligence tests.
While this research has inspired countless other studies, there are still researchers that caution parents against buying too much into the claim since research still doesn’t show any definitive correlation between intelligence and listening to music in the womb.
Does music have any impact on fetal development?
Again, there are no definitive conclusions regarding music and fetal development. Although there have been studies done to determine if music impacts a baby’s development, many argue that the results concluded from these studies are not definite since it is difficult to determine how or why a baby in utero responds to music.