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Music modulates behaviour of premature infants following heel lance
1Nursing Effectiveness, Utilization and Outcomes Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Nursing, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.
Insights
Music effectively aids recovery in preterm infants over 31 weeks post-conceptual age (PCA) following painful procedures. It helps regulate physiological and behavioral stress responses, promoting a faster return to baseline.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Developmental psychology
- Pain management
Background:
- Heel lance procedures in preterm infants can cause significant physiological and behavioral stress.
- Understanding interventions to mitigate pain and stress in neonates is crucial for optimal outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of music on physiological and behavioral responses during recovery from heel lance in preterm infants.
- To compare the efficacy of music intervention between different age groups of preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- 14 preterm infants (29-36 weeks post-conceptual age) were exposed to music and no-music conditions during heel lance.
- Physiological (heart rate, oxygen saturation) and behavioral (state-of-arousal, facial actions) data were collected.
- Infants were analyzed in two age groups: <31 weeks PCA and >31 weeks PCA.
Main Results:
- Heel lance induced a stress response in all infants, with older infants (>31 weeks PCA) exhibiting a greater response.
- The older infant group showed a faster return to baseline for heart rate, behavioral state, and pain expressions when music was present compared to the control condition.
- Music did not show a significant effect on the younger infant group's recovery.
Conclusions:
- Music serves as an effective neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) intervention for infants older than 31 weeks PCA after stressful stimuli.
- Music may help modulate the stress response and facilitate recovery in vulnerable preterm populations.
- Further research could explore music's impact on younger preterm infants and different types of neonatal stressors.
Abstract:
The physiological and behavioural effects of music during recovery from heel lance were examined in 14 preterm infants at 29 to 36 weeks post-conceptual age (PCA). Infants were tested on 2 occasions: during a music condition and during a no-music control condition. Each condition was videotaped during 3 periods: baseline, heel lance, and recovery. Infants were divided into 2 age groups for data analyses: less than and greater than 31 weeks PCA. Mixed model ANOVAs showed that heel lance elicited a stress response (i.e., increased heart rate, decreased oxygen saturation, increased state-of-arousal, and increased facial actions indicative of pain) in both age groups. The stress response was greater in the older group. During recovery, the older group had a more rapid return of heart rate, behavioural state, and facial expressions of pain to baseline levels in the presence of compared to the absence of music. It was concluded that music is an effective NICU intervention following a stress-provoking stimulus in infants older than 31 weeks PCA.