Make Your Kid A Genius!
How to Awaken Your Child's Innate Intelligence
| March 2002 |
Issue
#3
|
Irene Helen Zundel, Editor, artwhiz@greenepa.net
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IN THIS ISSUE
Feature Article: Sound as a Nutrient in Utero
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Sound as a Nutrient in Utero
by Irene Helen Zundel
All of us are familiar with the notion that vitamins and minerals are nutrients, and we know that proper nutrition is vital for the health and well-being of a developing fetus. But few of us have ever considered the notion that sound is a nutrient as well.
That seemingly radical concept is the conclusion of internationally known and respected physician, surgeon, psychologist and inventor, Dr. Alfred Tomatis. Known as the "Einstein of the Ear", Dr. Tomatis has devoted more than 50 years to its study and has established more than 250 Listening Centers worldwide.
Here are some of his well-researched and widely documented ideas:
The initial purpose of the ear is to help grow the brain of the unborn child. After birth, the function of the ear is to charge the neo cortex of the brain and the entire nervous system.
Food that is digested by the body provides its nourishment and fuel. Sound waves "digested" by the ear are what fuels the brain. Sound is literally a nutrient.
A fetus can hear in the womb after the 26th week of pregnancy. Besides hearing the mother's heartbeat, circulation, breath, and gastro-intestinal noise, the unborn baby can also hear her voice.
While in the womb, the higher frequencies of the mother's voice literally nourish the fetus. A uterine dialogue is established where the child waits for the sound of its mother's voice, is gratified when he hears it, and listens for the sound of her voice again. This is how the listening process starts that is carried into childhood. It is also the beginning of the psychological and emotional bond between mother and infant.
The development of language and communication skills, learning ability, and even social adjustment, depends on the quality of this early listening experience. If listening is impaired or shut down altogether, learning difficulties, frustration, and social isolation can occur. (It is interesting to note that approximately two-thirds of the inmates in American prisons have learning disabilities. Is it possible that these people lacked sufficient gratification in the womb, or their learning disabilities fueled their frustration and anti-social behavior?)
By reopening and retraining the ear, many conditions can be treated and alleviated such as learning disabilities, poor memory and concentration, and even immune disorders, chronic fatigue and depression.
The higher sounds, such as the mother's voice that a baby hears in the womb, tend to stimulate and charge the brain. Low and repetitive sounds tend to "discharge" the brain, causing weakness and fatigue.
(This may explain why classical music tends to jump start the brain, and increases neuronal activity in the areas that deal with mathematical problem solving and spatial perception, and why rock, rap, and heavy metal music tend to slow down brain function. You'll read an interesting study related to this in the chapter I have written on the Mozart Effect.)
In Listening Centers patients come seeking help for a variety of reasons. Some have learning disabilities, some suffer chronic depression, and some have immune disorders. Others are interested in brain/mind enhancement and expansion of their spiritual consciousness. Others are musicians and singers who want to improve their skills.
The therapeutic method used entails playing filtered sounds to the patient through a device called the Electronic Ear. Sometimes the mother's voice is played, other times the patient's. Also utilized is the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Gregorian chant. The main goal is to strengthen and retrain the muscles of the inner ear, so the ear can take in the full spectrum of sound. After periods of intensive work spread out over a period of weeks, many report dramatic improvement in their problem areas.
I never had any auditory retraining therapy, nor has my son, but I did have an interesting experience in the weeks after his premature birth that make me think that the ideas of Dr. Tomatis have merit.
David was born ten weeks early, and weighed in at a scrawny three pounds! As he was underweight and underdeveloped and had not yet developed a sucking reflex, he had to be put in a neo-natal intensive care unit and fed via a tube they left down his throat. I was told by specialists that his stay in the incubator would likely last ten weeks, and that his weight gain and progress would probably be uneven, as many preemies often suffer from infections and other complications.
I brought my son my breast milk every day, and provided the nurses with a tape I had made for my son. One side was my voice singing, telling stories, and speaking words of love and encouragement to my precious child. The other side was a tape my obstetrician had made when I went in for a prenatal ultrasound. You could hear my heartbeat, blood pumping through my veins, rumblings in my tummy, and a host of other odd noises that babies in the womb are accustomed to hearing. To me it was quite a racket! I made sure they played it daily in my absence. Every day, in the evenings, I went to see and touch my child, even though at first it was with sterile gloves, placed through little portholes in the side of the incubator. To the doctors amazement and my delight, David gained weight quickly, NEVER had any infections, and was allowed to go home four weeks earlier than anticipated.
Once I brought David home, I wore him in a baby sling across my chest, with his ear laying across my heart. I kept him close to me for 20 or more hours a day, only removing the sling to shower and to cook I even slept with him lying on my chest. I wanted him to hear my heartbeat and my breathing and to feel my movement walking, as he had in the womb. I nursed him 12 times a day. (Preemies tire easily during nursing and fall asleep in a matter of minutes. It is necessary to feed them small amounts often, in order to keep their bellies full.) After his first 30 days of being home, I took him to his pediatrician for his first check up. The doctor was utterly amazed to find that David had DOUBLED his entire body weight during his first month at home. He had never seen such a huge weight gain, in 20 plus years of experience as a doctor. David was not only pronounced healthy, but called thriving at an unprecedented rate!
Despite the warnings I received from neonatal specialists and pediatricians that David would likely have learning problems and/or developmental lags, and would likely be sickly as a child, NONE of those predictions came true. On the contrary, David talked very early, developed normally, and was reading by age 3 and 1/2. He has always been vibrantly healthy, physically well formed, and intelligent beyond his years.
I am convinced that my breast milk, the tapes, and the continuous comforting touch he received in the first few months of his life were responsible for his remarkable progress and overall good health.
I would encourage any women who are currently pregnant, or that have infants, to learn about the work of Dr. Tomatis, and to apply his principles in providing a healthy sonic environment for their child. I have listed a few comprehensive, yet easy to understand resources below, to help you.
For more information about the work of Dr. Alfred Tomatis, read:
The Conscious Ear: My Life of Transformation Through Listening
Alfred A. Tomatis, Marilyn Ferguson and Don Campbell
Talman Company, 1992
The Ear and Language
Alfred A. Tomatis and Billie M. Thompson, translator
Stoddart Publishing, 1997
Or visit these websites:
Or obtain some Tomatis Effect tapes or CDs from:
Silent Sounds
P.O.Box 2021
Norcross, GA 30091
http://silent.home.mindspring.com
Hot Tip
According to Don Campbell's well documented book and eye-opening and informative website at www.mozarteffect.com, music can therapeutically be used to improve memory and awareness, integrate learning styles, improve attention deficit disorder, increase listening skills, activate creativity, reduce stress, alleviate depression, and assist in the treatment of mental and physical injuries.
COMING UP in the next issue:
Speech and Language Development from Birth to Age Five
A full chapter from my book "Make Your Kid A Genius" based on the work of Speech and Language Pathologist Laura Dyer, and a review of her great littlelanguage products.
Visit Laura online at http://littlelanguage.com.
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These products are reviewed on my website at www.fadco.net/~artwhiz/littlelanguage.htm.
Parenting from the Heart: Telephone counseling by Jan Hunt, M.Sc., The Natural Child Project. Free initial call. jan@naturalchild.org, (541) 593-1547.
Wonder Years: ages 0-5, a bi-montly publication helping parents and caregivers make the most of a child's early years. Everything you do during the first years of a child's life affects brain development that will shape a lifetime of learning. Make the most of these critical learning years, and have fun at the same time. To subscribe, call 800-832-2464 or visit www.PartnershipForLearning.org.
Online issues can be found at http://www.fadco.net/~artwhiz/archives.htm
Irene Helen Zundel
Freelance Writer
©2002 Irene Helen Zündel