Speech Development Starts in the Womb
New parents are always thrilled when their offspring finally speaks its first words – usually at the age of 12 to 18 months. What parents often don’t know: the regions of the brain that recognise and process speech sounds start to specialise at a much earlier stage.
Speech development starts in the womb
The hearing apparatus of the foetus is already functional in the last trimester of pregnancy and speech-specific regions develop in the brain. Babies therefore learn to distinguish the first speech sounds while still in the womb. The natural filtering of speech sounds through the amniotic fluid and through the background noise of the mother’s body plays a major role in this. The last few weeks before birth are therefore very important for the first phases of a child’s speech development and affect its ongoing speech acquisition.
To measure this early brain activity, the researchers used the technique of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which involves measuring the changes in oxygenation in the baby’s cerebral cortex as it recognises speech.
Crucial last weeks before birth
They lack the benefit of spending the crucial last few weeks before birth in the natural environment of the mother’s body to help them recognise and process filtered speech sounds. These results also underscore the importance of the acoustic environment on preterm baby and neonatal units in hospitals. “A noisy environment similar to that encountered in the mother’s body, including parental voices and reduction of ambient noise can support the development of the speech areas in the brain of preterm infants, thus facilitating their further speech acquisition,” stresses the MedUni Vienna expert.
https://www.meduniwien.ac.at
Contacts and sources:
Medical University of Vienna
Citation: “Absence of early speech discrimination in preterm infants at term-equivalent age. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience”. Bartha-Doering L, Alexopoulos J, Giordano V, Stelzer L, Kainz T, Benavides-Varela S, Wartenburger I, Klebermass-Schrehof K, Olischar M, Seidl R, Berger A (2019). In Press. Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100679
Source:
Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.
"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.
Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below!
Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at https://mitocopper.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomic.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomics.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Humic & Fulvic Trace Minerals Complex - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!
HNEX HydroNano EXtracellular Water - Improve immune system health and reduce inflammation.
Ultimate Clinical Potency Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more.
MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video)
Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser! Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen!
Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health.
Smart Meter Cover - Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video).