Summary: A randomized controlled trial found that when caregivers sing more often to their infants, both babies and their caregivers show measurable improvements in wellbeing. The study involved 110 caregiver–infant pairs who took part in a four-week music enrichment program delivered by smartphone and used frequent, brief in-the-moment surveys to track mood and behavior.
Across the intervention, caregivers increased the amount of infant-directed singing they used—especially as a soothing tool—and caregivers’ reports showed clearer signs of improved infant mood during and after the intervention. Caregivers tended to integrate singing into daily routines naturally, often using it to calm infants without being explicitly directed to do so.
Key findings
- Improved infant mood: Increased infant-directed singing was associated with measurable improvements in infants’ general mood as reported by caregivers.
- Effective soothing strategy: Of several soothing approaches parents use, singing was the one that rose significantly after the intervention.
- Strong engagement: Caregivers completed more than 70% of the scheduled smartphone surveys, showing high compliance and feasibility for mobile-based interventions in early development research.
Study background
Although most parents intuitively sing to soothe and connect with their infants, there has been limited experimental evidence showing causal effects of increasing singing on infant and caregiver wellbeing. To address this, researchers from multiple universities collaborated on a randomized trial testing whether a small, low-cost intervention to encourage more singing would influence infant mood, stress, sleep, and daily parenting behavior.
The research appears in Child Development and includes authors from Yale University (United States), the University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands), the University of Auckland (New Zealand), McGill University (Canada), the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell (United States), and Princeton University (United States).
Participants and methods
Investigators recruited 110 primary caregivers and their infants (average infant age about 3.7 months) through in-person outreach at baby fairs and hospitals, flyers at childcare centers, public radio announcements, and online groups for new and expecting parents. Recruitment materials explained that participants needed a smartphone and the ability to complete surveys in English. The sample was predominantly mothers from the United States and New Zealand and tended to be White, well-educated, and socioeconomically advantaged.
Families were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. The study followed an offset-design timeline that included a baseline week, a four-week intervention period, and a post-test week, for a total of approximately six weeks of primary measurement and a broader 10-week participation window for follow-up assessments.
Intervention details
Caregivers in the intervention group accessed a brief, smartphone-based music enrichment program that provided instructional videos and guidance aimed at encouraging more frequent singing to infants. Participants completed ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys on their phones one to three times daily, reporting on infant mood, caregiver mood, stress, sleep quality, and whether they had been using music or singing during that period.
Main outcomes
The intervention successfully increased infant-directed singing and produced post-intervention improvements in infant mood, as measured by the EMA reports. The effect was most pronounced in soothing situations, where caregivers turned to singing more often than other strategies. The study did not find a corresponding increase in caregiver mood in the short term, although researchers note that a brief, low-intensity intervention may be unlikely to produce immediate changes in caregiver wellbeing.
Limitations
The authors highlight several limitations. The sample was not highly diverse, limiting generalizability to broader populations. Infant mood outcomes relied on caregiver reports, which—despite being collected in real time—remain vulnerable to reporting bias. The intervention was short and low intensity; longer or more structured programs might produce stronger or broader effects, including on caregiver mental health. Finally, many families already used music in daily routines at baseline, which may have reduced the observable effect size.
Implications for parents and practitioners
Because singing is universally accessible, requires no special equipment or training, and can be easily incorporated into daily caregiving, the results suggest that encouraging parents to sing more to their infants is a practical recommendation for pediatricians, early childhood professionals, and family support programs. Improving infant mood through simple, low-cost practices may also support parent–infant bonding and reduce parenting stress, with potential long-term benefits for social-emotional development.
Next steps in research
Following this promising pilot, the research team is conducting two follow-up projects: a direct replication using professionally developed intervention materials to test whether higher-quality resources increase effectiveness, and a longer eight-month randomized trial comparing three active conditions—singing (music plus active parent–infant interaction), music listening (music without active interaction), and reading (active interaction without music)—along with a general control group. These studies aim to isolate the unique contributions of music, singing, and interactive caregiving to infant and caregiver outcomes.
Funding
The study received support from the National Institutes of Health (United States), the Royal Society of New Zealand, the University of Auckland (New Zealand), and Princeton University (United States).
About this music and child development research news
Author: Jessica Efstathiou
Source: Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)
Contact: Jessica Efstathiou – Society for Research in Child Development
Image credit: Neuroscience News
Original research (open access): “Ecological Momentary Assessment Reveals Causal Effects of Music Enrichment on Infant Mood,” by Samuel A. Mehr et al., published in Child Development. DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14246
Abstract
Ecological Momentary Assessment Reveals Causal Effects of Music Enrichment on Infant Mood
Music is a near-universal feature of human infancy, and many parents intuitively use singing to soothe and bond with their babies. In a 10-week randomized trial conducted in 2023 with 110 families of young infants (mean age 3.67 months), researchers manipulated the frequency of infant-directed singing using a brief music enrichment intervention. Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment indicated that increasing infant-directed singing caused post-intervention improvements in infant mood, though no short-term changes in caregiver mood were observed. High retention (92%) and a strong EMA response rate (74%) suggest this mobile methodology is feasible for longitudinal studies, and the results support further investigation of longer-term and higher-intensity music-based interventions in early infancy.