Studies Screaming babies calms singing best

Screaming babies can be well calmed by singing
When the baby cries, parents develop very different methods of reassurance. Singing or music is particularly effective, according to a recent study by the University of Montreal. Even though they are unfamiliar with the language of songs, infants have been quieter in singing twice as long as in comforting language, reports the University of Montreal. Auditioning helps children develop their emotional self-control, researchers suggest.

"Many studies have examined how singing and speech affect infants' attention, but we wanted to know how they affect a baby's emotional self-control," explains Prof. Isabelle Peretz from the University of Montreal. Although the emotional self-control in infants is not yet developed, auditioning can seemingly help babies and children to develop this ability, the researcher reports on the basis of the current study results. The study was published in the journal "Infancy".

Even infants are carried away by music
Most people are enthusiastic about music, with adults and older children viewing their "take-away" behavior, such as nodding, clapping, or drumming, explain the scientists. However, infants lack the physical and mental abilities needed to express their enthusiasm in this way, Peretz explained. One goal of the scientists was therefore to determine whether babies even bring the mental prerequisites for a musical enthusiasm. The infants have been quite carried away by the music, so that this mental skills are obviously available, reports the study director. In a second step, the researchers compared the calming effect of song and language.

To ensure that the children's response to the music is based not on other factors such as their mother's voice, familiar language or known rhythms, the researchers invited professional performers to perform Turkish songs and the award was also in Turkish. While talking, both the baby language and ordinary adult language were tested. The texts and songs from the tape were played to avoid individual deviations.

The children were placed in a quiet state in a room, the parents took behind them bib and the experiment began. "Even though the parents were in the room, their facial expressions had no effect on the child as they sat behind the babies," says Marieve Corbeil of the University of Montreal.

Singing keeps the children relaxed
The researchers played the images to the infants until they showed the first signs of a "screaming face" (lowering the forehead, pulling the corners of the mouth to the side, opening the mouth and lifting the cheeks). This is the most common infant facial expression on the verge of crying, reports the University of Montreal. While listening to the Turkish songs, the babies stayed calm for an average of about nine minutes, while the language - whether or not it was baby talk - lasted only half as long until the children showed signs of a "screaming face "Corbeil points out.

In baby talk, the children remained calm for just over four minutes on average, and just under four minutes in adult language. "The lack of significant differences between the two types of speech was a surprise to us," continues Marieve Corbeil.

Mothers should sing more
In a group of other children, the scientists studied the effect of song and speech with familiar language and voice. When auditioning recordings of her mothers confirms the much calmer effect of singing. "Our results leave little doubt as to the effectiveness of singing nursery rhymes to maintain composure over a longer period of time," says study leader Peretz.

The results are important because "mothers, especially in western industrial nations, speak with babies much more often than sing, leaving their children with the emotional regulatory qualities of singing." Singing could be especially useful for parents whose children are disadvantaged by socio-economic conditions or emotional circumstances have a hard time anyway, the researchers report. (Fp)