For many years now, prenatal learning has been used by the Japanese.
Researchers have found that fetuses begin reacting to sound stimuli at about 26 weeks.
As a fetus in the womb, there is no way that a child can become distracted.
Therefore an external stimulus is met by a captive audience.
Since brain growth is continual throughout fetal development, some of the senses are quite active.
For instance, it has been found that fetuses turn towards pleasant music and comfortable sounds, but away from discordant noise like rock music.
In fact, noise pollution drastically impairs fetal brain development.
Studies of prenatal development by University of North Carolina psychologist Anthony DeCasper have shown that newborn babies can detect the difference between their mothers' voices and those of other women, and that they prefer female voices to male voices.
There was also evidence to indicate that newborn babies showed a preference for Dr.
Seuss stories read to them before birth over new Dr.
Seuss stories only read to them after birth.
In another study, a researcher chose 20 random Greek words for pregnant mothers to read to their unborn infants.
After birth, these same 20 Greek words proved easier to learn later in childhood over 20 other randomly chosen Greek words.
In Hayward, California, Dr.
Rene van de Carr has a prenatal university that teaches parents to get to know their infants before birth.
Beginning with the fifth month, a basic method or word association is progressively established through a series of games.
The "kick game" involves saying, "Kick mommy," to the fetus when kicking is initiated.
Later the spoken words - pat, rub, squeeze, tap, shake and stroke are associated with the appropriate tactile stimulus on the mother's tummy.
The on and off switching of a flashlight on the lower part of the mother's abdomen is done while stating the words "light" and "dark.
" Perhaps the best example of prenatal learning has been with the development of the 4 Susedik girls (Susan, Stacey, Stephanie & Johanna).
Their parents, Joe and Jitsuko Susedik, routinely talked to each of their fetal babies, read the alphabet, practiced phonics and discussed social studies as if they were really present in the flesh.
As a result, they gave their children a head start before birth, and all four developed into actual geniuses later.
As an exercise for your prenatal baby, you can begin by reading simple academics at your 5th month of pregnancy.
Use deep, inner imagery about what you read aloud, because your baby has good telepathic abilities with you as a mother.
During the day, vividly describe things that you do and the reasons behind them -- from brushing your teeth to cooking and eating your food.
To assist this process, visualize all your sensory experiences as they happen, and transmit the focus of your impressions toward your baby's head as the point of reception.
Since your own fears and anxieties can also be passed along to your fetal baby, minimize these and keep your emotions stable.
A mother's negative emotional state can constrict the blood flow to the placenta and can produce oxygen deprivation in the womb.
Besides suffering brain damage, a "suffocation syndrome" can occur which has the unusual effect in later life of feelings of panic, depression, fatigue and possible drug dependency.
A love vibration is essential to good developmental growth.
Healthy, physical exercise and a wholesome diet are recommended for you as the pregnant mother -- free of alcohol, nicotine, narcotics and white sugar intake.
Choose positive, expressive and knowledgeable people associations, because remember, your baby is listening too.
After delivery of the baby, love and an educational environment should be available as well.