PregnancyNCT07699536
Prenatal Music Exposure to Enhance Postnatal Language Development
A study testing High dose music Exposure, Education and Low dose music exposure in people with Pregnancy, run by Chinese University of Hong Kong at 2 sites in 2 countries.
Trial summary
The goal of this randomized controlled study is to evaluate the effect of prenatal music exposure on infants through two years of age. The study addresses two primary questions: Whether prenatal music exposure enhances neural encoding of speech and improve language and cognitive outcomes during the first two years of… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Pregnancy
- What is being tested?
- High dose music Exposure, Education and Low dose music exposure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 480 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesin 2 countries
- Study dates
- 15 Sep 2025to Apr 2030
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- residents of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) with Cantonese and/or Putonghua being the primary home language(s)
- aged 18 years or above
- single fetus pregnancy
- Less than 32 weeks of gestation
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 2 countries. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
2 sites in 2 countries
China1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
BaoAn Hospital
Shenzhen
Peggy Chan, PhD, +852 39439443, peggy.chan@cuhk.edu.hk
B Sun, MD
Hong Kong1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
The Prince of Wales Hospital
Hong Kong
Peggy Chan, PhD, +852 39439443, peggy.chan@cuhk.edu.hk
HS Lam, MD
About this study
The goal of this randomized controlled study is to evaluate the effect of prenatal music exposure on infants through two years of age.
The study addresses two primary questions:
Read more
- Whether prenatal music exposure enhances neural encoding of speech and improve language and cognitive outcomes during the first two years of life among fetuses
- Whether predictive models can be developed from available fetal data to forecast individual differences in developmental outcomes among fetuses exposed to prenatal music.
Participants will engage in music listening or self-learning five days a week until delivery. After the participants give birth, the children will be followed up on their neural responses to speech, as well as their language and cognitive development, until they reach two years of age.
The investigators will compare the effects of low- and high-dose prenatal music exposure with a control group receiving education and develop models to predict outcomes in fetuses exposed to prenatal music.
Read the detailed description
[BACKGROUND] Fetuses can hear in the womb from as early as 20 weeks of gestation. Research has shown that prenatal music and spoken language experiences are related to better neural and behavioral outcomes at birth. These findings, though focused on outcomes shortly after birth, are consistent with a larger body of research showing positive effects of postnatal music training on children's language and cognitive outcomes.
[AIM OF STUDY] Objective 1: To examine whether prenatal music exposure leads to better neural encoding of speech and better language and cognitive developmental outcomes up to two years of life.
Objective 2: To construct predictive models using fetal data (e.g., fetal brain MRI and ultrasound data, if available) to forecast individual differences in developmental outcomes among fetuses exposed to prenatal music.
[HYPOTHESIS] The investigators hypothesize that prenatal music exposure can strengthen a fetus's neural encoding of speech from birth, leading to better language and cognitive development in early childhood. The investigators further hypothesize that, despite the expected heterogeneity in intervention effects, fetal features can predict how much a fetus would benefit from prenatal music exposure.
- Conditions
- Pregnancy
- Being tested
- High dose music Exposure, Education, Low dose music exposure
- Keywords
- Neural encoding, Prenatal music, Language, Cognitive, EEG, Music exposure, Pregnancy, Predictive model
- Medical subject headings
- Language
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
High dose music ExposureOther
Participants will be exposed to children's songs in various languages for 40 minutes daily, five days per week, with 80% of songs presented at approximately 75 dB SPL and 20% at approximately 10 dB SPL.
EducationOther
Participants will learn independently from short educational videos and audios on pregnancy, maternal and child health, and parenting, five days a week.
Low dose music exposureOther
Participants will be exposed to children's songs in various languages for 15 minutes daily, five days per week, with 20% of songs presented at approximately 75 dB SPL and 80% at approximately 10 dB SPL.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| High-dose music | Experimental | Participants will be exposed to a higher dose of music Receives: Other: High dose music Exposure |
| Low-dose music | Active comparator | Participants will be exposed to a lower dose of music Receives: Other: Low dose music exposure |
| Education | Placebo comparator | Participants will learn independently from educational materials Receives: Other: Education |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Neural encoding of speech as measured by EEG
Comparing the ability of neural encoding of speech as measured by EEG between groups.
Measured: Birth to 1 month, and at 6, 12, and 24 months of age
Secondary outcomes (2)
Chinese Communicative Development Inventories (CCDI)
Comparing language and communicative abilities, as measured by the Chinese Communicative Development Inventories (CCDI), between groups.
Measured: 12, and 24 months old
Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 4th Edition (Bayley-4)
Five developmental domains (and subdomains): Cognitive, Language (Receptive and Expressive Communication subdomains), Motor (fine and gross motor subdomains), Social-emotional, and Adaptive Behavior will be assessed and compared across groups. The domain standard scores range from 45-155, and the subdomain scaled scores range from 1- 19 . Higher scores indicate better outcomes.
Measured: 6, 12, and 24 months old
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Jul 2026
- Study start15 Sep 2025
- Primary completionDec 2029 (estimated)
- Study completionApr 2030 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for PregnancyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Chinese University of Hong KongThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 480 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Patrick C. M. Wong, Chinese University of Hong Kong
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07699536
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- C4055-19GF
- Other IDs
- 2023.354
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 29 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 13 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Prenatal Music Exposure to Enhance Postnatal Language Development
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07699536
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- C4055-19GF
- Conditions
- Pregnancy
- Keywords
- Neural encoding, Prenatal music, Language, Cognitive, EEG, Music exposure, Pregnancy, Predictive model
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 480 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Chinese University of Hong KongUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Apr 2030 (estimated)
- First posted
- 13 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this randomized controlled study is to evaluate the effect of prenatal music exposure on infants through two years of age.
The study addresses two primary questions:
- Whether prenatal music exposure enhances neural encoding of speech and improve language and cognitive outcomes during the first two years of life among fetuses
- Whether predictive models can be developed from available fetal data to forecast individual differences in developmental outcomes among fetuses exposed to prenatal music.
Participants will engage in music listening or self-learning five days a week until delivery. After the participants give birth, the children will be followed up on their neural responses to speech, as well as their language and cognitive development, until they reach two years of age.
The investigators will compare the effects of low- and high-dose prenatal music exposure with a control group receiving education and develop models to predict outcomes in fetuses exposed to prenatal music.
Detailed description
[BACKGROUND] Fetuses can hear in the womb from as early as 20 weeks of gestation. Research has shown that prenatal music and spoken language experiences are related to better neural and behavioral outcomes at birth. These findings, though focused on outcomes shortly after birth, are consistent with a larger body of research showing positive effects of postnatal music training on children's language and cognitive outcomes.
[AIM OF STUDY] Objective 1: To examine whether prenatal music exposure leads to better neural encoding of speech and better language and cognitive developmental outcomes up to two years of life.
Objective 2: To construct predictive models using fetal data (e.g., fetal brain MRI and ultrasound data, if available) to forecast individual differences in developmental outcomes among fetuses exposed to prenatal music.
[HYPOTHESIS] The investigators hypothesize that prenatal music exposure can strengthen a fetus's neural encoding of speech from birth, leading to better language and cognitive development in early childhood. The investigators further hypothesize that, despite the expected heterogeneity in intervention effects, fetal features can predict how much a fetus would benefit from prenatal music exposure.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| High-dose music | Experimental | Other: High dose music ExposureParticipants will be exposed to a higher dose of music |
| Low-dose music | Active comparator | Other: Low dose music exposureParticipants will be exposed to a lower dose of music |
| Education | Placebo comparator | Other: EducationParticipants will learn independently from educational materials |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- residents of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) with Cantonese and/or Putonghua being the primary home language(s)
- aged 18 years or above
- single fetus pregnancy
- Less than 32 weeks of gestation
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| High dose music ExposureParticipants will be exposed to children's songs in various languages for 40 minutes daily, five days per week, with 80% of songs presented at approximately 75 dB SPL and 20% at approximately 10 dB SPL. | Other | High-dose music |
| EducationParticipants will learn independently from short educational videos and audios on pregnancy, maternal and child health, and parenting, five days a week. | Other | Education |
| Low dose music exposureParticipants will be exposed to children's songs in various languages for 15 minutes daily, five days per week, with 20% of songs presented at approximately 75 dB SPL and 80% at approximately 10 dB SPL. | Other | Low-dose music |
Primary outcome
Neural encoding of speech as measured by EEG
Time frame: Birth to 1 month, and at 6, 12, and 24 months of age
Comparing the ability of neural encoding of speech as measured by EEG between groups.
2 secondary outcomes
Chinese Communicative Development Inventories (CCDI)
Time frame: 12, and 24 months old
Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 4th Edition (Bayley-4)
Time frame: 6, 12, and 24 months old
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
2 sites in 2 countries: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing High dose music Exposure, Education and Low dose music exposure in people with Pregnancy, run by Chinese University of Hong Kong at 2 sites in 2 countries.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 0 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in China, Hong Kong. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Peggy Chan, PhD (+852 3943 9443, peggy.chan@cuhk.edu.hk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Neural encoding of speech as measured by EEG (time frame: Birth to 1 month, and at 6, 12, and 24 months of age). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Jul 2026.