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Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
11:50

Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Published on: January 7, 2020

27.8K

Music From the Very Beginning-A Neuroscience-Based Framework for Music as Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their

Friederike Barbara Haslbeck1, Dirk Bassler1

  • 1Department of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
|June 21, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Creative music therapy (CMT) offers tailored auditory stimulation for preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This approach may support crucial brain development during a vulnerable period.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Early auditory experiences significantly impact brain development, especially in preterm infants.
  • The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) environment can negatively affect auditory stimulation and brain maturation.
  • Auditory deprivation, such as the absence of maternal rhythms, also impacts brain development in neonates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the application of Creative Music Therapy (CMT) in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
  • To support the brain development of very preterm infants through music therapy.
  • To involve parents in the therapeutic process for preterm infants.

Main Methods:

  • Creative Music Therapy (CMT) involves infant-directed singing, adapted to the neonate's needs and developmental stage.
  • Therapy is entrained to the infant's breathing rhythm and responsive to subtle expressions.
  • Parents are integrated into the music therapy sessions.

Main Results:

  • Speculative: Enriched musical experiences may promote brain development in preterm infants.
  • Discussion of available evidence supporting the potential benefits of music therapy.
  • Qualitative insights into the application of CMT in the NICU setting.

Conclusions:

  • A nurturing auditory environment is essential for preterm infant brain maturation.
  • Creative Music Therapy (CMT) offers a promising approach to enrich the NICU auditory environment.
  • Further research is needed to critically evaluate the evidence supporting CMT's impact on brain development.

Keywords:
brain developmentearly auditory experiencemusicparentspreterm infant

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