Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 20, 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
Listening to Relaxing Music Improves Physiological Responses in Premature Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Rafael A Caparros-Gonzalez1, Alejandro de la Torre-Luque, Carolina Diaz-Piedra
1Mind, Brain, and Behavior Research Center (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain (Mr Caparros-Gonzalez, Dr Diaz-Piedra, and Dr Buela-Casal); Faculty of Psychology, University of Balearic Islands, Balearic Islands, Spain (Mr de la Torre-Luque); School of Computer Science, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain (Dr Vico); and Gynecology and Obstetric Department, Hospital Poniente, El Ejido, Almeria, Spain (Mr Caparros-Gonzalez).
Insights
This study found that AI-composed relaxing music therapy reduced respiratory rate in premature infants. This music intervention may help mitigate the NICU
Area of Science:
- Neonatal intensive care
- Music therapy
- Artificial intelligence
Background:
- Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) expose premature infants to high noise levels.
- Environmental stress in NICUs can negatively impact infant well-being.
- Exploring novel interventions to mitigate NICU-related stress is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of an AI-composed relaxing music intervention on premature infants' physiological responses.
- To assess changes in respiratory rate, blood pressure, and heart rate.
- To investigate the potential of music therapy as a stress-reduction tool in the NICU.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind, randomized controlled trial involving 17 healthy premature infants (32-36 weeks gestation).
- Infants were allocated to an AI-composed music intervention group or a silence control group.
- Intervention involved 20-minute music sessions, 3 times daily for 3 days, with physiological assessments before and after.
Main Results:
- The music intervention group showed a significant decrease in respiratory rate post-session (p = .022).
- The control group (silence) exhibited a significant increase in heart rate across sessions (p = .045).
- No significant changes were reported for blood pressure in either group.
Conclusions:
- AI-composed relaxing music may be a viable intervention to reduce respiratory rate in premature infants.
- This music therapy approach could help ameliorate the effects of the stressful NICU environment.
- Further research is warranted to explore the broader applications and long-term effects of this intervention.
Background:
Premature infants are exposed to high levels of noise in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Purpose:
This study evaluated the effect of a relaxing music therapy intervention composed by artificial intelligence on respiratory rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate.
Methods:
A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial was conducted in the NICUs of 2 general public hospitals in Andalusia, Spain. Participants were 17 healthy premature infants, randomly allocated to the intervention group or the control group (silence) at a 1:1 ratio. To be included in the study, the subjects were to be 32 to 36 weeks of gestation at birth (M= 32.33; SD = 1.79) and passed a hearing screening test satisfactorily. The intervention lasted 20 minutes, 3 times a day for 3 consecutive days, while infants were in the incubator. Infants' heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure were assessed before and after each intervention session.
Results:
After each session, the respiratory rate decreased in the experimental group (main between-groups effect (F1,13 = 6.73, P = .022, ηpartial = 0.34). Across the sessions, the heart rate increased in the control group (main between-groups effect, F1,11 = 5.09, P = .045, ηpartial = 0.32).
Implications For Research:
Future studies can use this music intervention to assess its potential effects in premature infants.
Implications For Practice:
Nurses can apply the relaxing music intervention presented in this study to ameliorate the impact of the stressful environment on premature infants.
