Final answer:
It is false that prerecorded music is played in neonatal intensive care units for everyone's enjoyment; it depends on hospital policy. Infants' sense of hearing is well developed at birth and they have a preference for their mother’s voice. Infants respond positively to sounds they've heard in utero, aiding early communication development.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is false that prerecorded music is often played throughout neonatal intensive care units for all premature infants, family, and staff to enjoy.
While music does have the ability to evoke emotional responses, the preference for when and how to use music in neonatal intensive care units varies based on individual hospital policies and the preferences of healthcare providers and parents.
The focus in neonatal intensive care units is often on creating a calm and healing environment, which may or may not involve the use of music.
Hearing development is well established at birth, and newborns show a strong preference for their mother's voice over a stranger's voice. Infants are also able to discriminate between the language spoken by their mother and other languages and respond positively to the sounds they heard before birth, such as their parent's breathing and heartbeat.
Regarding Anna's question about when her baby's hearing will develop, you can inform her that a baby's sense of hearing is well developed at birth, and even before birth, infants can recognize their mother's voice and prefer it over others.
This preference for the maternal voice can be soothing to newborns and may facilitate early language and communication development.