Language Learning
A 2006 study published in Italy of 58 pregnant women beginning in the third trimester examined the language development and communication skills of the babies at 18 months of age. The babies heard a variety of sounds, but the most significant ones related to language development were correlated with how many times the mothers directly and deliberately spoke to the fetus.
It was found that babies to whom their mothers spoke three times or more a day were able to understand more nouns, verbs, questions, etc. than the babies who heard from their mothers just once a day. They also showed better communication skills. Daily communication by the mother directly with the fetus has been shown to have a significant impact on the linguistic competence of the baby.