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Updated: Mar 15, 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
Effects of music therapy on pain responses induced by blood sampling in premature infants: A randomized cross-over
Fidan Shabani1, Nahid Dehghan Nayeri2, Roghiyeh Karimi3
1Ph.D Candidate in Nursing, Department of Nursing, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
Music therapy significantly reduced pain responses in premature infants during blood sampling. This intervention lowered heart rate and improved facial expressions, indicating less pain and distress.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pain management
- Music therapy
Background:
- Premature infants experience numerous painful procedures.
- Assessing pain responses in neonates is crucial for effective care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of music therapy on pain responses in premature infants.
- To analyze physiological and behavioral indicators of pain during and after blood sampling.
Main Methods:
- A cross-over clinical trial involving 20 premature infants.
- Music therapy intervention administered before, during, and after blood sampling.
- Recording of physiological measures and facial expressions for pain assessment.
Main Results:
- Significant reductions in heart rate during and after needle extraction in the music therapy group.
- Significant differences in sleep-wake states and facial expressions of pain post-sampling.
- Music therapy demonstrated a clear effect on pain indicators.
Conclusions:
- Music therapy is effective in mitigating pain responses in premature infants.
- The study supports music therapy as a non-pharmacological intervention for neonatal pain.
Background:
Premature infants are subjected to many painful procedures during care and treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of music therapy on physiological and behavioral pain responses of premature infants during and after blood sampling.
Materials And Methods:
This study was a cross-over clinical trial conducted on 20 infants in a hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences for a 5-month period in 2011. In the experimental group, Transitions music was played from 5 min before until 10 min after blood sampling. The infants' facial expressions and physiological measures were recorded from 10 min before until 10 min after sampling. All steps and measurements, except music therapy, were the same for the control group. Data were analyzed using SAS and SPSS software through analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Chi-square tests.
Results:
There were significant differences between the experimental and control groups (P = 0.022) in terms of heart rate during needle extraction and at the first 5 min after sampling (P = 0.005). Considering the infant's sleep-wake state in the second 5 min before sampling, the statistical difference was significant (P = 0.044). Difference was significant (P = 0.045) during injection of the needle, in the first 5 min after sampling (P = 0.002), and in the second 5 min after sampling (P = 0.005). There were significant difference in infants' facial expressions of pain in the first 5 min after sampling (P = 0.001).
Conclusions:
Music therapy reduces the physiological and behavioral responses of pain during and after blood sampling.
