Musical intervention and food preferences in girls born with lower birth weight

• Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) leads to preference for palatable foods.
• Intake of palatable foods activates the dopamine mesocorticolimbic system.
• Exposure to music also activates this brain system.
• Early music intervention moderates the effects of IUGR on food preference in girls.

BackgroundChildren born after intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), especially girls, show an increased intake of palatable foods in several developmental stages, which likely contributes to their increased risk for obesity later. Recently, neuroimaging studies suggested that musical exposure activates the mesolimbic region, which is also involved in the processing of food rewards.AimsWe evaluated the impact of musical intervention in mother/infant pairs on feeding behavior during childhood with regard to birth weight.Study DesignCohort study.SubjectsA total of 28 children exposed to a structured musical intervention in early life were invited for an anthropometric and nutritional evaluation, and were compared to a communitarian age-matched sample.Outcome MeasuresA series of general linear models adjusted for socioeconomic status and maternal education were constructed to evaluate the interaction between music exposure, birth weight, and sex on the consumption of different types of foods, measured using a food frequency questionnaire.ResultsThere was an interaction between birth weight, sex, and musical intervention on the consumption of sugar during childhood (Wald = 7.87, df = 2, p = 0.02); control participants consumed more sugar as birth weight decreased (B = − 8.673, p < 0.0001). No such effect was found for the girls exposed to musical intervention (B = 3.352, p = 0.15) or for boys (exposed B = 2.870, p = 0.44; non-exposed B = 3.706, p = 0.236). The absence of other effects suggests that this finding is specific for sweet foods.ConclusionEarly music intervention in mother/infant pairs may moderate the effects of IUGR on palatable food preference in girls.