Fetal sensitivity to properties of maternal speech and language.
Fetal speech and language abilities were examined in 104 low-risk fetuses at 33-41 weeks gestational age using a familiarization/novelty paradigm. Fetuses were familiarized with a tape recording of either their mother or a female stranger reading the same passage and subsequently presented with a novel speaker or language: Studies (1) & (2) the alternate voice, (3) the father's voice, and (4) a female stranger speaking in native English or a foreign language (Mandarin); heart rate was recorded continuously. Data analyses revealed a novelty response to the mother's voice and a novel foreign language. An offset response was observed following termination of the father's and a female stranger's voice. These findings provide evidence of fetal attention, memory, and learning of voices and language, indicating that newborn speech/language abilities have their origins before birth. They suggest that neural networks sensitive to properties of the mother's voice and native-language speech are being formed.
Kisilevsky
B S
BS
Queen's University, 92 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. kisilevb@queensu.ca
Hains
S M J
SM
Brown
C A
CA
Lee
C T
CT
Cowperthwaite
B
B
Stutzman
S S
SS
Swansburg
M L
ML
Lee
K
K
Xie
X
X
Huang
H
H
Ye
H-H
HH
Zhang
K
K
Wang
Z
Z
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014831:Voice