Cipriani said she doesn't know if playing different music would change the outcome, but like Brozanski, she suspects the repetition probably is key. "The baby is used to hearing a beat before it's born -- the whoosh of the blood, the heartbeat -- and it may be that certain types of music do a better job of soothing them and reminding them of the womb," she said.
More information
Learn more about how a newborn experiences sound and other senses from the Nemours Foundation.
SOURCES: Cheryl Cipriani, M.D., director, neonatal intensive care unit, Scott & White Memorial Hospital, Temple, Texas; Beverly Brozanski, M.D., clinical director, neonatal intensive care unit, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; Dec. 7, 2009, Pediatrics, online