Response to rhythmical sound in pre-term infants and term neonates

Abstract

Infants born at least 10 weeks before term were compared, when they reached 40 weeks conceptual age, with normal full term neonates on their responses to the rhythmical sound of metronome beats. Crying was significantly reduced in the presence of a 144 beat/m stimulus in term neonates whereas there was no such evidence of pacification among the group born before term. It is suggested that the different environments occupied during the 10 weeks of fetal life preceding the experiment might have contributed to the different responses given by infants in the two groups.