Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Maternal Voice and Its Influence on Stress and Sleep

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Early Vocal Contact and Preterm Infant Brain Development

  • 1207 Accesses

Abstract

Introduction: Several developmental care programmes in NICU have been created to minimize the consequences of prematurity and to promote preterm infant’s neurobehavioral and brain development. The foetus in the womb relies on the organic structure of the rhythms of mother’s heart, her breath patterns and overtone vibrations of her “voice-supported” organizational development. Preterm birth interrupts the dialog between mother and foetus: changes of the sensory inputs and mother-driven environmental enrichment at this stage deeply affect the brain development and the stress regulation.

Main aims of the chapter: We wonder if vocal intervention is associated to increased neuro-vegetative stability. Birth and neonatal adaptation to the extrauterine environment is terribly stressful, and early interventions should aim to stabilize neuro-vegetative functions from the delivery room and later on during the hospitalization. Early vocal contact (EVC), a specific form of acoustical intervention, seems to be able to reassure and stabilize the autonomic function of the baby. EVC appears to facilitate sleep and organization of behavioural states and the maturation of the autonomic nervous system.

Conclusions: Intrauterine environment should be taken into account to tailor possible interventions for prematurity. Future work should aim to find simple and easy implement tools to assess and measure sleep and physiological stability (vagal tone) of the newborn. In this prospective, maternal vocal intervention may play a fundamental role in supporting and integrating neonatal clinical care.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Als, H., & McAnulty, G. B. (2011). The Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) with Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC): Comprehensive care for preterm infants. Current Women’s Health Reviews, 7(3), 288–301.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Anders, T. F. (1974). The infant sleep profile. Neuropediatrie, 5(4), 425–442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • André, M., Lamblin, M. D., d'Allest, A. M., Curzi-Dascalova, L., Moussalli-Salefranque, F., S Nguyen The, T., … Plouin, P. (2010). Electroencephalography in premature and full-term infants. Developmental features and glossary. Neurophysiologie Clinique, 40(2), 59–124.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Arnon, S., Diamant, C., Bauer, S., Regev, R., Sirota, G., & Litmanovitz, I. (2014). Maternal singing during kangaroo care led to autonomic stability in preterm infants and reduced maternal anxiety. Acta Paediatrica, 103(10), 1039–1044.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baley, J., & Committee on Fetus and Newborn. (2015). Skin-to-skin care for term and preterm infants in the neonatal ICU. Pediatrics, 136(3), 596–599.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brazelton, T. B., & Nugent, J. K. (2011). The neonatal behavioural assessment scale. London, England: Mac Keith Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dreyfus-Brisac, C. (1970). Ontogenesis of sleep in human prematures after 32 weeks of conceptional age. Developmental Psychobiology, 3(2), 91–121.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dreyfus-Brisac C. (1979). Ontogenesis of brain bioelectrical activity and sleep organization in neonates and infants. In F. Falkner & J. M. Tanner (Eds.), Human growth (Vol. 3, pp. 157–182). New York, NY: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dreyfus-Brisac, C., & Minkowski, A. (1968). Electroencephalographic maturation and too low birth weight. Revue Neurologique (Paris), 119(3), 299–301.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrari, F., Bertoncelli, N., Gallo, C., Roversi, M. F., Guerra, M. P., Ranzi, A., & Hadders-Algra, M. (2007). Posture and movement in healthy preterm infants in supine position in and outside the nest. Archives of Disease in Childhood. Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 92(5), F386–F390.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Filippa, M., Devouche, E., Arioni, C., Imberty, M., & Gratier, M. (2013). Live maternal speech and singing have beneficial effects on hospitalized preterm infants. Acta Paediatrica, 102(10), 1017–1020.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Filippa, M., Panza, C., Ferrari, F., Frassoldati, R., Kuhn, P., Balduzzi, S., & D’Amico, R. (2017). Systematic review of maternal voice interventions demonstrates increased stability in preterm infants. Acta Paediatrica, 106(8), 1220–1229.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frank, M. G., Issa, N. P., & Stryker, M. P. (2001). Sleep enhances plasticity in the developing visual cortex. Neuron, 30, 275–287.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hoppenbrouwers, T., Ugartechea, J. C., Combs, D., Hodgman, J. E., Harper, R. M., & Sterman, M. B. (1978). Studies of maternal-fetal interaction during the last trimester of pregnancy: Ontogenesis of the basic rest-activity cycle. Experimental Neurology, 61(1), 136–153.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kisilevsky, B. S., Chambers, B., Parker, K., & Davies, G. (2014). Auditory processing in growth-restricted fetuses and newborns and later language development. Clinical Psychological Science: A Journal of the Association for Psychological Science, 2(4), 495–513.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kisilevsky, B. S., Hains, S. M., Brown, C. A., Lee, C. T., Cowperthwaite, B., Stutzman, S. S., … Wang, Z. (2009). Fetal sensitivity to properties of maternal speech and language. Infant Behavior & Development, 32(1), 59–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krueger, C. (2010). Exposure to maternal voice in preterm infants: A review. Advances in Neonatal Care, 10(1), 13–18.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Lester, B. M., Salisbury, A. L., Hawes, K., Dansereau, L. M., Bigsby, R., Laptook, A., … Padbury, J. F. (2016). 18-Month follow-up of infants cared for in a single-family room neonatal intensive care unit. The Journal of Pediatrics, 177, 84–89.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lombroso, C. T., & Matsumiya, Y. (1985). Stability in waking-sleep states in neonates as a predictor of long-term neurologic outcome. Pediatrics, 76(1), 52–63.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marx, V., & Nagy, E. (2015). Fetal behavioural responses to maternal voice and touch. PLoS One, 10(6), e0129118.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ortenstrand, A., Westrup, B., Broström, E. B., Sarman, I., Akerström, S., Brune, T., … Waldenström, U. (2010). The Stockholm Neonatal Family Centered Care Study: Effects on length of stay and infant morbidity. Pediatrics, 125(2), e278–e285.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Partanen, E., Kujala, T., Naatanen, R., Liitola, A., Sambeth, A., & Huotilainen, M. (2013). Learning-induced neural plasticity of speech processing before birth. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 110(37), 15145–15150.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Peirano, P., Algarín, C., & Uauy, R. (2003). Sleep-wake states and their regulatory mechanisms throughout early human development. The Journal of Pediatrics, 143(4 Suppl), S70–S79.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Peters, K. L., Rosychuk, R. J., Henderson, L., McPherson, C., & Tyebkhan, J. M. (2009). Improvement of short- and long-term outcomes for very low birth weight infants: Edmonton NIDCAP trial. Pediatrics, 124(4), 1009–1020.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Picciolini, O., Porro, M., Meazza, A., Giannì, M. L., Rivoli, C., Lucco, G., … Mosca, F. (2014). Early exposure to maternal voice: Effects on preterm infants development. Early Human Development, 90(6), 287–292.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pineda, R. G., Neil, J., Dierker, D., Smyser, C. D., Wallendorf, M., Kidokoro, H., … Inder, T. (2014). Alterations in brain structure and neurodevelopmental outcome in preterm infants hospitalized in different neonatal intensive care unit environments. The Journal of Pediatrics, 164(1), 52–60.e2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prechtl, H. F. (1974). The behavioural states of the newborn infant (a review). Brain Research, 76(2), 185–212.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prechtl, H. F., Vlach, V., Lenard, H. G., & Grant, D. K. (1967). Exteroceptive and tendon reflexes in various behavioural states in the newborn infant. Biologia Neonatorum, 11(3), 159–175.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rand, K., & Lahav, A. (2014). Maternal sounds elicit lower heart rate in preterm newborns in the first month of life. Early Human Development, 90(10), 679–683.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Roffwarg, H. P., Muzio, J. N., & Dement, W. C. (1966). Ontogenetic development of the human sleep-dream cycle. Science, 152(3722), 604–619.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sterman, M. B., & Hoppenbrouwers, T. (1971). The development of sleep-waking and rest-activity patterns from fetus to adult in man. In Brain development and behavior (pp. 203–227). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, E., Parmelee, A. H., & Harris, M. A. (1973). Sleep state periodicity in prematures and young infants. Developmental Psychobiology, 6(4), 357–365.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Volpe, J. J. (2009). The encephalopathy of prematurity – Brain injury and impaired brain development inextricably intertwined. Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, 16(4), 167–178.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Westrup, B. (2015). Family-centered developmentally supportive care: The Swedish example. Archives de Pédiatrie, 22(10), 1086–1091.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • White, R. D. (2011). The newborn intensive care unit environment of care: How we got here, where we're headed, and why. Seminars in Perinatology, 35(1), 2–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences of Mothers, Children and Adults, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy

    Fabrizio Ferrari, Giovanna Talucci, Luca Ori, Natascia Bertoncelli & Laura Lucaccioni

  2. Independent, Researcher, Aosta, Italy

    Manuela Filippa

Authors
  1. Fabrizio Ferrari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Giovanna Talucci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Luca Ori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Natascia Bertoncelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Manuela Filippa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Laura Lucaccioni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Fabrizio Ferrari .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Independent Researcher, Aosta, Italy

    Manuela Filippa

  2. Médecine et Réanimation du Nouveau-né Hôpital de Hautepierre, CHU, Strasbourg, France

    Pierre Kuhn

  3. Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

    Björn Westrup

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Ferrari, F., Talucci, G., Ori, L., Bertoncelli, N., Filippa, M., Lucaccioni, L. (2017). Maternal Voice and Its Influence on Stress and Sleep. In: Filippa, M., Kuhn, P., Westrup, B. (eds) Early Vocal Contact and Preterm Infant Brain Development . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65077-7_9

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation