babble » blogs » Strollerderby
Strollerderby
They Say: Mozart Fattens Up Preemies
Two doctors at an Israeli research hospital concluded in a new study in Pediatrics that exposing premature infants to Mozart could help the babies gain weight.
Again with the Mozart?
The doctors based the study on the hypothesis that certain music has a calming effect on babies, which makes them expend less energy. Less energy expended means more weight packed on at a faster rate.
For the study, recordings of Mozart sonatas were played 30 minutes each day to the test group of preemies. Doctors measured the amount of energy the tiny babies expended and compared that to the control group — preemies who only had the beeping of high-tech machinery to lull them to sleep.
The Mozart babies used up 10 percent less energy.
Weight gain is crucial for premature babies, who can’t safely go home (and away from hospital borne infections) until they reach an acceptable number of pounds.
The study’s doctors say they don’t know whether other kinds of music would work just as well but speculate the repetitive melodies of the 18th Century composer’s sonatas have something to do with it. If their findings hold, they predict Mozart would have the same effect on normal-sized babies.
Well, redemption for those who thought Mozart’s compositions worked miracles! They may not have made your kids smart — they may even have done the opposite — but apparently they put some meat on those skinny little legs.
More Posts
Country with the Highest C-Section Rate? You’ll Be Surprised.
What your MIL is Really Trying to Say
Olympian Gives Birth While Lifting Weights
Photo: TopNews.com
Go Back To Strollerderby
1 Comment
[...] Mozart Connected to Baby Weight Gain [...]
‘Baby Einstein’ Creator Sues for Data on Kids and TV | Strollerderby commented on Jan 13 10 at 3:58 pmAdd your take:
Note: Babble is a supportive, diverse community. We encourage a range of opinions,
but any unduly hostile comments will be removed.
Comments are delayed up to 15 minutes
Lori Garcia 
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
1