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Updated: Aug 29, 2026
Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Published on: January 7, 2020
[Music therapy for prematures]
1Vestische Kinder- und Jugendklinik, Datteln, Germany.
Insights
Active music therapy effectively supports psychic and sensomotor development in premature infants. This creative music therapy approach balances minimal handling with crucial developmental stimulation for neonates.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Developmental psychology
- Music therapy
Context:
- Balancing minimal handling with developmental needs in neonatal intensive care.
- Exploring active music therapy methods for premature infants.
- Utilizing Nordoff/Robbins creative music-therapy in a clinical setting.
Purpose:
- To present a case report on active music therapy for a premature infant.
- To observe the infant's reactions to synchronized sensory and auditory stimulation.
- To assess the potential benefits of music therapy in neonatal care.
Summary:
- A case report details music therapy with a 23-week premature infant, focusing on reactions to synchronized motor, sensory, and acoustic stimulation.
- Observed positive reactions, including increased awareness and involuntary movements, suggest music therapy's effectiveness.
- Physiological benefits such as improved oxygen partial pressure and reduced heart rate were noted.
Impact:
- Active music therapy provides adequate developmental stimulation for premature infants.
- This approach does not appear to over-stimulate neonates.
- Findings support music therapy as a valuable intervention in neonatal care, promoting development alongside medical treatment.
Background:
More than ever before the neonatal care besides the medical and nursing work has to been balanced between protecting the child against over extension due to the concept of "minimal handling" and on the other hand the necessary fostering of the young patients psychic and sensomotor development during the long stationary treatment. In addition to known approaches of auditive stimulation as receptive music therapy a concept of active music therapy methods based on the Nordoff/Robbins creative music-therapy (University Witten/Herdecke) is presented in a case-report.
Patient And Methods:
The report describes in a single case-report the music-therapeutic work with a premature of the 23 + 3 (th) week of pregnancy at the neonatological unit of the Vestische Kinder- und Jugendklinik Datteln, Universität Witten/Herdecke. The main focus was the observation of the prematures reactions on specific synchronisation of motoric, sensor and acoustical stimulation.
Results:
Positive reactions allow to presume the effectiveness of music therapy with early born children as they are already shown in clinical studies about receptive music therapy. On the level of involuntary motional actions in the area of head-, face- and hand movements increased directly reactions of awareness on the coordination of sensomotor and acoustical stimulation have been observed. Temporary increase of oxygen partial pressure and reduction of heart/pulse rate seem to cause positive physiological effects.
Conclusions:
Active music therapeutic treatment does not seem to be an other risk of over-tension for prematures, but offers through the coordination of different levels of perception an adequate development fostering stimulation.
