A new study reveals that classical music can calm fetal heart rates, suggesting potential developmental benefits. The researchers found that music, notably “Arpa de Oro,” creates more predictable heart rate patterns in fetuses.
Expectant parents, take note: playing classical music for your unborn child might do more than just create a calming atmosphere. A new study, published in the journal Chaos, has discovered that it can significantly stabilize fetal heart rates, potentially offering developmental benefits.
Researchers from the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, the Metropolitan Autonomous University, General Hospital Nicolás San Juan and the National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chávez collaborated on this unprecedented study.
The team focused on how classical music influences the heart rate variability of fetuses, a key indicator of the maturation of the autonomic nervous system. Unlike the average heart rate measurements, heart rate variability assesses the intervals between individual heartbeats, providing deeper insights into fetal development.
The researchers recruited 36 pregnant women and exposed their fetuses to two classical compositions: “The Swan” by Camille Saint-Saëns and the Mexican guitar piece “Arpa de Oro” by Abundio Martínez. Using advanced mathematical tools, they meticulously analyzed the heart rate variability before, during and after the music was played.
“Overall, we discovered that exposure to music resulted in more stable and predictable fetal heart rate patterns,” co-corresponding author Claudia Lerma, a senior health sciences researcher at the National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chávez, said in a news release. “We speculate that this momentary effect could stimulate the development of the fetal autonomic nervous system.”
Intriguingly, the study revealed that the impact of the music varied between the two pieces.
“When contrasting ‘The Swan’ with ‘Arpa de Oro,’ we did notice some significant differences,” co-corresponding author Eric Alonso Abarca-Castro, an associate professor in the Department of Health Sciences at the Metropolitan Autonomous University, said in the news release.
“In particular, the second piece appeared to have a stronger impact on some measures, indicating that it produced heart rate patterns that were more predictable and regular. Factors like rhythmic characteristics, melodic structure or cultural familiarity may be linked to this differentiation,” he continued
For expectant parents at home, this research offers a simple yet potentially powerful tool to promote fetal development.
“Our results suggest that these changes in fetal heart rate dynamics occur instantly in short-term fluctuations, so parents might want to consider exposing their fetuses to quiet music,” Abarca-Castro added. “Parents who play soothing music may stimulate and benefit the fetal autonomic system.”
Looking ahead, the researchers plan to expand their investigation to include various musical genres and rhythms, aiming to understand the diverse impacts on fetal heart responses.
“To ascertain whether rhythmic or cultural variations elicit distinct fetal cardiac responses, we intend to increase the size of our sample and expand our investigation to include a variety of musical styles beyond classical pieces,” added first author José Javier Reyes-Lagos, an associate professor in the School of Medicine at the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico.
The findings of this study provide a fresh perspective on prenatal care, marrying the arts and science in a symphony of developmental benefits.