As a young music therapist in Colorado, Shannon de L'Etoile saw that when mothers were encouraged to sing to their babies, they were amazed by the positive responses they received. She quickly realized that music could be a powerful tool for helping mothers learn more about their infants（婴儿）. Soon, de L'Etoile began researching the practice, called infant-directed singing. She says it helps babies learn to regulate their feelings, which allows them to later behave well in school, and in the social and professional world.
"If a mother can sing in a way that catches the infant's attention, it can help to promote the development of the infant's brain," said de L'Etoile. "Infant-directed singing is a way in which mothers can communicate with their babies that most infants can recognize and respond to. But mothers need to be sensitive to infant cues（提示）."
De L'Etoile is working with people at the Linda Ray Intervention Center to create a coaching program that will guide mothers in the practice. She is now in the process of training workers at the center, who will coach mothers for a month in the most beneficial ways to sing to their infants. The process includes watching and recording mothers as they sing to their infants and then showing these mothers how they can be sensitive to their infants' feelings while singing. Mothers will be able to notice if the infant is benefiting because the baby will look longer at the mother and reach a happy state.
As part of the study, after each mother completes the training, de L'Etoile will work with a music engineering program to study recordings of the mother's voice. The study result can show changes over time in the mother's ability to change her singing according to the infant's feelings. Videos of the babies will also be studied to discover their connections with their mothers over time. De L'Etoile has been working closely with center workers to develop the program so that it will meet the needs of different families.
