With a specially-composed music could be the brain maturation of preterm babies improve. First results of researchers from Switzerland show a positive effect.

Preemies are in the neonatal intensive care unit exposed to many Stimuli. This enormous Stress can leave life-long traces in the brains of the Little; in later Childhood, many preemies with learning difficulties and attention deficits have to fight.

In the get in the first days after birth, special music plays, the study showed a better link between the two brain areas for the processing of Audio is important, as in the case of preemies without music and sound. The research team reported to Dr. Lara Lordier, of the University of Geneva. "We wanted to create the musical Stimuli, the Situation of babies passen", Lordier explains in a to accompany the publication of the results. Together with composer Andreas Vollenweider, the researchers searched first for matching instruments. Of all the sounds that were newborn presents, triggered the Indian Punji flute, the kind used by the snake charmers, the strongest reaction in the baby. The pieces, composed by Vollenweider, were occupied with this flute, harp, and Glockenspiel.

In a double-blind study, the researchers played the music for premature infants. As control groups, cells, which plays no music is pre-served early, and Mature born babies. The study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed that the music had a positive effect on the brain development of the babies. The functional connection of brain areas was similar to the case of the premature babies in the intervention group to those of term Infants, premature infants in the control group, however, it was significantly worse. This suggests a measurable positive influence of music. Whether or how this influences the cognitive development of children will be investigated by the researchers in further studies. The first children in the study are now six years old.

on/PZ/NK