The Benefits of Reading to Newborns

 In this article, Mathilde Toulot, founder of Editions Charlie Crane, explains to us why reading to a newborn is essential from birth. Between language development, stress reduction and the strengthening of the emotional bond, reading offers a uniquely comforting moment. Learn how the parents' voices soothe the baby and stimulate their cognitive abilities long before their first words.

What does he understand? Is he even listening? He sleeps all the time!

There are reasons to be skeptical in the face of the seemingly limited abilities of this little being who has just arrived. And yet, we know today that a newborn loves to have their parents read books to them. They will above all prefer the voice of their mother, and that of their father. But they will also greatly appreciate the attention given by their grandmother, their uncle, their older brother, their half-sister, or even, a caregiver at the hospital. In reading, it is not only the story being told that matters — it is the moment spent together. That is what counts above all else. 

In the womb, the baby has been hearing for a long time — hearing is one of the first senses to develop in utero. From as early as 5 and a half months, the fetus reacts to low sounds and vibrations. At 8 months of pregnancy, it recognizes its mother's voice among other female voices. When it is born — that first great separation in life — it is suddenly cut off from all the sounds that were familiar and that shaped it. Hearing its parents' voices is very reassuring for it. We also know that the mother's voice has an analgesic power — meaning it soothes pain. The newborn needs to be spoken to; it is a necessity.  

Reading is a moment of great comfort. When we start to read, our voice is directed at the baby and they understand that our attention is focused on them. Just a few minutes are enough to give them the certainty that you are there for them. This is the beginning of building the bond.  

This particular attention through reading develops cognitive abilities (the exchange during this intimate moment activates neural connections) and allows exposure to a rich variety of words. "Several studies show that the earlier you read, the better language development will be up to the start of nursery school," explains Adèle Boulanger-Hirsch, speech therapist at the Robert Debré pediatric hospital. When a baby is born, they have already begun storing words — all they are waiting for is to be nourished with language!  

And then, reading soothes the parent. Young mothers on maternity leave often suffer from loneliness — those long days when time no longer feels like anything and hope, sometimes, tips into grey (that was my experience). Their mental health often falls by the wayside. Studies show that reading reduces maternal stress. Indeed! Feeling that having a baby is not only the labour of nappies and milk, of a dependent body, but that there is truly a person at the other end. Watching them react, in the smallest of ways, to all these words, to all this goodwill — seeing their eyes blink, their head turn ever so slightly, is a joy. A joy shared between two… that can transform a whole day. 

Discover « To You Who Are Here », the collection from Editions Charlie Crane containing 30 original poems written by 21 poets especially for Éditions Charlie Crane. This anthology is unique because its texts are not intended solely for the baby but also for the adult, so that they may share a privileged moment, far from the tumult of the world.

This is THE perfect present if you are looking for a gift full of emotion. This book will be forever engraved in the heart of the family.