In a recent experiment, mothers repeated a children's rhyme daily for four weeks from week 33 to 37 in utero. Tested at 37 weeks while still inside, the babies reacted with a change of heartbeat to the familiar rhyme, but not to the unfamiliar rhyme. In other research, babies have demonstrated immediately after birth a preference for their mother's voice and their native language. The womb turns out to be a stimulating place and is, in many ways, a school. In the last fifteen years as these facts were gradually becoming known, many books, tapes, and exercises were created to help parents understand and communicate with babies in the womb.
Babies are naturally curious and interactive.
There is no need for pushing and shoving. Since about 1980, organized programs for parents have been developed and tested, revealing the benefits of carefully planned stimulation. By 1990, programs with sophisticated experimental designs and systematic testing were underway. Test results revealed the advantages of prenatal stimulation in virtually every category over the entire time period including verification of superior auditory and speech development, motor skills, memory, and intelligence. Because of such positive results, the government of Venezuela has decided to make the program available throughout the country.