“Babypod” inserted directly into mother’s womb
A few months ago–October 8, to be exact–we posted a story about the “Babypod,” a device which, in effect, pipes in music to the unborn child.
Researchers at the Institut Marqués in Barcelona, Spain, reported that 3D images showed the little one singing and dancing in response.
It was our readers most “liked” story of 2015!
And since there’s more coverage recently–and because the whole topic of in utero education is so fascinating and mildly controversial– I thought it’d be interesting to elaborate on our first story.
It makes intuitive sense that using an external speaker would be less efficient than inserting directly into the mother’s womb. The abdominal wall and fluids would muffle the sound, which is exactly what the researchers assert happens.
Here’s how the Daily Mail’s Cheyenne MacDonald explains it:
The study revealed that the intravaginal music led to physical responses from the babies, while abdominally administered tunes had no effect.
Presumably, the Institut writes, the babies could not even hear the music played through headphones.
Researchers led by Dr. Marisa Lopez-Teijon, observed the reactions of the babies using ultrasound on pregnant women between the 14th and 39th week of pregnancy, and found that the babies showed early attempts at vocalization.
According to Lopez-Teijon, the fetuses responded to music transmitted intravaginally by moving their mouth and tongue, ‘as if they were trying to speak or sing.’
“It proves that learning begins in the womb,” according to the Institut.
A Spanish company produces Babypod. On its website, it says
“Babies learn to speak in response to sound stimuli, especially melodic sound. Babypod is a device that stimulates before birth through music. With Babypod, babies learn to vocalise from the womb.”
Put another way, the Babypod aims to stimulate neurons in the brain. Engaging these neurons helps babies learn to communicate while still inside the womb, according to the researchers.
Mom can share in the music experience, we learn, by plugging headphones into the audio input at the top of the connector
Scientists at the Institut Marqués had previously thought that the auditory system in a unborn baby “does not start working until at least the 26th week of pregnancy,” according to reporter Anne Sewell. “By testing using the new system, however, they have discovered that the fetuses can hear from week 16 and using the new system, the sound reaches them effectively and distortion-free.”
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
