Prenatal Maternal Speech Influences - Essay Example

? Prenatal maternal speech influences Supervisor: May 20, Prenatal maternal speech influences Prenatal maternal speech influences on fetus is an established phenomenon that many empirical studies support. This paper conducted a literature review on the influence and identifies its significance that is however limited to qualitative association. A quantitative approach to understanding the influence towards a learning model is therefore proposed. Introduction The question of when cognitive development begins in human beings is a significant one because of the role of environment in the development. A favorable environment is necessary to facilitating learning and the brain’s development capacity and such an environment is necessary as soon as learning process begins. The theory that learning begins in the womb has stimulated diversified research initiatives on effects of different maternal actions on fetus and this paper conducts literature review on prenatal maternal speech influences. Summary of articles’ research questions, purpose, limitations, and results In a research to explore elements of fetal learning and memory, Dirix, Nijhuis, Jongsma and Hornstra reviewed a number of questions that they expressed in statement form. The questions can be reframed and expressed as follows; from which gestational age can “fetal learning and memory be established?” “How long does fetal memory lasts?” Moreover, “Do fetal learning and memory depend on fetal age?” The aim of the study was to investigate prenatal learning and memory upon habitual stimulation of the fetus. The research results established that learning among fetus does not depend on their age. Upon attaining the age of 30 weeks, fetus develops a short-term memory that lasts for about ten minutes and the developed memory is independent of age. Fetus that are 34 weeks and older however demonstrate longer-term memory as they can comprehend information after four weeks. The study does not identify weaknesses but recommend further research to ascertain its finding, a provision that establish reliability and validity concerns (Dirix, Nijhuis, Jongsma and Hornstra, 2009). Another study by Kisilevsky et al. that sought to investigate fetal sensitivity to properties of maternal speech and language did not establish its research question but this could be inferred from the research title. The inferred research question is how sensitive is the fetus to its mother’s speech and language? It aimed at comparing fetal reaction to a mother’s speech and language to speeches of other people, such as other females, and other languages. The study established fetal novel reaction to maternal voice and a foreign language and an offset reaction when a father’s voice or voice of a female stranger ceased, an indication that sensitivity to speech and language as well as cognitive development begins at the fetal age. The study did not report challenges to its process (Kisilevsky et al., 2009). Lee Grace also conducted a research on the relationship between fetal cognitive potential and voices from a mother and a father. The study sought to understand fetal and newborn processing of paternal sounds and to establish a relationship between responses to the two parents as well as a relationship between responses during fetal and infancy stage. The research explored the questions; “do term fetuses show differential responses to the mother’s vs. father’s voice? Do new born show a preference for the mother’s or the father’s voice as evidenced?” Moreover, “is there continuity between fetal and newborn responding to their mother’s or father’s voice?” (Lee, 2010, p. 16).Research results indicated fetal increased heart beat rate upon exposure to both parents’ voices from recording. Further, fetus did not respond to a mothers’ actual direct voice, when the mother spoke. The infants however often turned their heads towards directions of mothers’ voices but away from their father’s voices. Lack of procedure for comparing fetal and newborn responses is the identified limitation and the study failed to establish a relationship (Lee, 2010). In a separate study by DeCasper and Spence, the authors sought to establish differences in reinforcing effects of prenatal recited passages and novel passages on newborns. Though the authors did not explicitly state their research question, inference from the title identify the question, do prenatal sounds from recited passages and sounds from novel passages have different reinforcing effects on newborns? The study does not identify limitation but reports more reinforcement in recited passages that novel passages (DeCasper and Spence, 1986). In another study that sought to investigate effects of repeated maternal speech on fetal responses, the authors did not establish a research question but a review of the research title suggests the question, ‘how do fetuses react to repeated maternal speeches?’ Exposure to repeated maternal speeches resulted in lower heart beat rate as compared to rate among control group fetuses. The study does not identify any limitation (DeCasper, Lecanuet, Busnel, Deferre and Maugeais, 1994). Comparison of the articles The study by Dirix, Nijhuis, Jongsma and Hornstra establishes learning among fetuses above 30 weeks with higher memory among fetuses at 34 weeks old (2009). DeCasper, Lecanuet, Busnel, Deferre and Maugeais’ conclusion supports the learning among fetuses towards reactions to their environment but recommends more analytical approaches to exploration of the topic (1994). DeCasper and Spence’s conclusion that prenatal maternal influence facilitates recognition of speech sound after birth (1986) support the consistency in effectiveness of prenatal exposure to fetal learning. Research findings by Lee and findings by Kisilevski et al. also correspond to the observation that prenatal exposure has positive learning effects on fetuses and the effects transcend to their lives after birth (Lee, 2010; Kisilevski et al., 2009). The literatures however fail to establish relative significance of the dependent variables in the studies such as correlation between the number of recurrence in speeches and effects on fetuses or odds ratio in factors such as responses to mothers and fathers, mothers and other females, and even mother’s native language to foreign languages. This identifies the need for a quantitative research to develop a model for optimal level of prenatal exposure for effective cognitive development that begins at the young stage. Conclusion The literature review identifies consistency in existing information regarding prenatal maternal speech influences. The existing information is however qualitative and does not offer a basis for applying the influence to benefit fetuses learning and responses. The paper proposes a quantitative study to investigate relationship between different factors to fetal prenatal learning and effects of the factors on cognitive development and learning at subsequent levels. References DeCasper, A. and Spence, M. (1986). Parental maternal speech influences newborns’ perception of speech sounds. Infant behavior and Development 9(1986), 133-150. DeCasper, A., Lecanuet, J., Busnel, M., Deferre, C. and Maugeais, R. (1994). Fetal reactions to recurrent maternal speech. Infant Behavior and Development 17(1994), 159-164. Dirix, C., Nijhuis, J., Jongsma, H. and Hornstra, G. (2009). Aspects of fetal learning and memory. Child Development 80(4), 1251-1258. Kisilevsky, B. et al. (2009). Fetal sensitivity to properties of maternal speech and language. Infant Behavior & Development 32(2009), 59-71. Lee, G. (2010). Fetal and newborn auditory processing of the mother’s and father’s voice. Queen’s University. 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