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Updated: Jun 21, 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 in an integrated pediatric palliative care program.
Caprice Knapp1, Vanessa Madden, Hua Wang
1Departments of Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. cak@ichp.ufl.edu
Music therapy in pediatric palliative care significantly boosts parental satisfaction. Children with life-limiting illnesses and their siblings benefited from this integrated approach, highlighting its value in supportive care programs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Palliative Care
- Integrative Medicine
- Childhood Illness Research
Background:
- National experts advocate for integrated palliative and medical care for children with life-limiting illnesses.
- Pediatric palliative care programs often incorporate diverse services, such as music therapy.
- The Partners in Care: Together for Kids (PIC:TFK) program in Florida offers integrated services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate parental experiences with music therapy within a pediatric palliative care program.
- To assess the impact of music therapy on overall program satisfaction for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families.
Main Methods:
- Survey data collected from parents enrolled in Florida's PIC:TFK program.
- Analysis of music therapy utilization rates among children with life-limiting illnesses and their siblings.
- Multivariate analysis to compare satisfaction levels between parents whose children used music therapy and those who did not.
Main Results:
- Approximately 44% of children with life-limiting illnesses and 17% of siblings utilized music therapy.
- Parents whose children received music therapy were 23 times more likely to report overall satisfaction with the PIC:TFK program (P < .05).
Conclusions:
- Music therapy is a valuable component of pediatric palliative care, enhancing family satisfaction.
- Pediatric palliative care programs should consider integrating music therapy services.
- Challenges may exist in recruiting and retaining licensed music therapists for these programs.
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