Welcome to Womb to World!

Every baby begins learning about language before they are born.

From around 25 weeks of pregnancy, babies can hear sounds from inside the womb. These sounds are gently softened and filtered by the mother’s body, so what babies mainly hear is the rhythm and melody of speech — especially from their mum's voice. This early experience helps prepare them to learn language after birth.

When a baby is born prematurely, they begin life outside the womb earlier than expected. Neonatal Care Units (NCUs) provide outstanding medical care and support during this time. However, the sound environment is naturally different from the womb. Instead of the steady rhythm of breathing, heartbeat, and familiar speech patterns, babies hear hospital sounds and have less exposure to speech.

Womb to World explores whether recreating aspects of the prenatal sound environment — especially through recordings of parents’ voices and body sounds— can help support early language development in preterm infants.