the power of music Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Infant-Directed Singing Shown to Boost Emotional Health

The AHA! Team — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 06:23:15 +0000

Society for Research in Child Development via News-Medical – Many parents know that infants love to be sung to; however, there is limited prior research to show the long-term effects on parental singing. In a new study, researchers explored whether using a music enrichment intervention program to encourage parents to sing more frequently to their babies could improve the health of both infants and caregivers (as with skin-to-contact). This research was featured in a new Child Development article with authors from Yale University (United States), the University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands), the University of Auckland (New Zealand), McGill University (Canada), Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell (United States) and Princeton University (United States). Researchers advertised for study participants through in-person visits to baby fairs, distribution of flyers at local daycare centers, preschools, and delivery hospitals, and an announcement on public radio in New Haven, Connecticut. Online recruitment efforts targeted social media groups for expecting and new parents, along with online communities related to early childhood education. The study requirements mandated that all participants have a smartphone to be able to communicate and complete surveys online in English and be a primary caregiver of the infant. The study was conducted with 110 caregivers and their infants, who were on average nearly 4 months old. Most caregivers were from the United States and New Zealand, predominantly white, educated, and socioeconomically advantaged. Study participants were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. The main portion of the study lasted six weeks, starting with a pre-test in week one, followed by a four-week intervention, and then a post-test in week six. Caregivers in the intervention group completed a brief, smartphone-based music enrichment program to help them sing more often to their babies (through access to instructional videos with children’s songs). Throughout the study, participants completed smartphone surveys one to three times daily, reporting on infant and parent mood, stress, sleep quality, and music use. The findings suggest that simple, low-cost interventions, such as increasing infant-directed singing, have the potential to improve health outcomes for both infants and caregivers. The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Samuel A. Mehr from Auckland University along with Dr. Eun Cho from Yale University and doctoral student, Lidya Yurdum from the University of Amsterdam to learn more about the research. SRCD: Can you please provide a brief overview of the study? Author team: We conducted a randomized controlled trial to test whether a simple, low-cost music intervention-encouraging caregivers to actively integrate singing into daily routines with their infants-could improve wellbeing for both infants and caregivers. The study included 110 caregiver-infant pairs, primarily from the United States and New Zealand (with infants on average about 4 months old). Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. During the 4-week intervention, participants in the intervention group were encouraged to sing more to their infants than usual. We measured how this change in behavior would influence infant mood, stress, sleep, and music behavior, using brief, smartphone based surveys that caregivers completed at random times throughout the day. Our main finding was that the intervention successfully increased the frequency of infant-directed singing, especially in soothing contexts, and led to measurable improvements in infants’ general mood as reported by caregivers. SRCD: Did you learn anything that surprised you? Author team: One interesting finding was how intuitively caregivers incorporated singing into soothing routines for their infants, even though the intervention did not explicitly instruct them to use singing for this purpose. Among a dozen soothing strategies, singing was the only one that showed a significant increase in use following the intervention. From a methodological perspective, a particularly encouraging outcome was the high level of compliance with the study protocol-caregivers completed over 70% of the surveys across the 10-week period, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach for future developmental research. This strong compliance supported our decision to move forward with a longer-term, longitudinal study, which is currently underway. SRCD: Can you please explain how this research might be helpful for parents, caregivers and pediatricians? Author team: Our findings suggest that encouraging parents and caregivers to sing more frequently to their infants can have a positive, causal impact on infant mood. Singing is a universal practice-parents from almost every culture and throughout history have intuitively used singing to soothe and connect with their infants. It’s easy to do, requires no special equipment or training, and is accessible to everyone. Because infant mood is closely linked to parenting stress, caregiver-infant bonding, and later social-emotional development, such a simple intervention could have meaningful downstream benefits. For pediatricians and professionals working with families, recommending increased infant-directed singing is a practical, accessible strategy to support infant well-being. SRCD: Can you please address some of the research limitations? Author team: There are several limitations to note. First, our sample was predominantly white, highly educated, and socioeconomically advantaged and composed mainly of mothers, which limits the generalizability of the findings to more diverse populations. Second, all infant mood data were based on caregiver reports-although these reports were collected in real time to reduce recall bias, they remain subject to potential reporting biases. Third, the intervention was relatively brief and low-intensity; longer and more structured interventions might yield broader effects, including on caregiver mood or other health outcomes. Finally, music was already a regular part of many families’ routines at baseline, which may have limited the observable effect size of the intervention. SRCD: What’s next in this field of research? Author team: Despite the intervention lasting only four weeks, we observed clear benefits for infant mood. This suggests that the positive effects of singing to infants may be even more pronounced with longer-term, higher-intensity interventions-and may also extend to caregiver wellbeing and additional aspects of infant health beyond mood. Building on these findings, we are currently conducting two follow-up studies. The first is a direct replication of our original study, but with professionally developed, higher-quality intervention materials designed to help parents sing more to their infants. This will allow us to determine if improved resources can enhance the intervention’s effectiveness. The second is a longitudinal, randomized trial that follows families over eight months. In this study, we are comparing three active interventions -singing (music plus active parent-infant interaction), music listening (music without active interaction), and reading (no music but active interaction) – as well as a general control group. This design will help us disentangle the unique contributions of music, singing, and interactive activities to infant and caregiver outcomes. More information about this ongoing research can be found at https://www.togetherwegrow.study. This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (United States), the Royal Society of New Zealand, the University of Auckland (New Zealand) and Princeton University (United States). Source: Society for Research in Child Development Journal reference: Cho, E., et al. (2025) Ecological Momentary Assessment Reveals Causal Effects of Music Enrichment on Infant Mood. Child Development. doi.org/10.1111/cdev.14246. To read the original article click here.

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NEW STUDY Shows Listening to Emotionally Significant Songs Improves Cognitive Function

AHA Publisher — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 08:00:20 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia continue to impact a tragic number of people throughout the United States. Over 6.5 million Americans are currently affected – and the number is expected to soar to 13 million by the year 2050. Sadly, the Alzheimer’s Association reports that deaths from Alzheimer’s disease have increased by an alarming 16 percent since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conventionally speaking, there is currently no cure, and pharmaceutical medications have yielded disappointing results – along with unwanted side effects such as nausea, muscle pain, and headaches. However, scientists at the University of Toronto report that a natural intervention may help improve cognitive function. A just-published study points to the benefits of music for people suffering from cognitive decline. To learn more about the intriguing potential of music to improve cognition and memory, read on. Benefits of Music Include Improved Brain Function, Landmark Study Shows In the small pilot study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, patients with Alzheimer’s disease listened to a selection of their favorite songs for an hour a day for three weeks. The songs were chosen because they were “autographically salient,” meaning that they were familiar tunes with personal meaning for the participants. For example, the repertoire might include songs the participants had danced to at their weddings. All patients underwent MRIs before and after the listening sessions – and the results led the scientists to an extraordinary conclusion. The team reported that regularly listening to beloved songs could change the brain’s neural pathways and improve structure and function. Listening to Familiar Songs Stimulates the Prefrontal Cortex Senior author Dr. Michael Thaut, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music and Temerty Faculty of Medicine, reported that listening to music can cause changes in neural pathways – notably in the prefrontal cortex, where deep cognitive processes occur. “(Listening to music) can stimulate neural connectivity in ways that help maintain higher levels of functioning,” Dr. Thaut stated, adding that patients also showed improvement in the integrity of the brain. Interestingly, listening to music written and performed in a similar style – but with no particular personal meaning – activated an “auditory” network, which meant that it caused brain activity that indicated the act of listening. But, when participants listened to familiar, well-loved songs, the prefrontal cortex activated significantly, indicating cognitive engagement. It seems that the benefits of music include activation of the “control center” of the brain. “Music is an ‘access key’ to the memory and prefrontal cortex,” declared Dr. Thaut. The researchers concluded that listening to music is an effective way to increase brain plasticity in patients with dementia and mild cognitive decline – and that there is a clinical potential for personalized, music-based interventions. Benefits of Music Therapy Include Practicality and Low Cost Dr. Thaut likened the stimulating effect of familiar music to that of a “brain gym.” And, apparently, daily workouts yield the best results – as the therapy is not a “one and done” technique. The research suggested that repeated. Regular listening is necessary to reap the full benefits of music for people with cognitive decline. Lead author Corinne Fischer, director of Geriatric Psychiatry at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, said that the study showed that a home-based approach to music listening could be beneficial and have lasting effects on the brain. She praised the music-based intervention as feasible, cost-effective, and readily available. Dr. Thaut expressed his belief that the study “opened the door” to further research on therapeutic applications of music for people with dementia. Support Good Cognitive Function With Other Natural Techniques According to a study published in 2017 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, regular physical activity can positively influence cognitive ability, reduce the rate of cognitive aging and even reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Experts say that exercise may increase the production of beneficial brain chemicals, improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation. Herbs that are believed to help enhance cognitive function include turmeric, ginkgo biloba, and rosemary, which have promoted memory in clinical studies. Rosemary’s close cousin, sage, may hold even more promise. A controlled study showed that rosemary extract inhibits an enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter needed for memory and learning. Of course, consult your integrative doctor before supplementing. People have always intuitively realized the power of music to uplift, inspire and console. While larger controlled clinical trials are needed, this intriguing early study helps “roll back the curtain” and reveal some of the science behind that power. Sources for this article include: ScienceDaily.com AlzheimersAssociation.com NIH.gov Carewatch.co.uk To read the original article click here.

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