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Updated: Nov 17, 2025

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

27.1K

Defining Attachment and Bonding: Overlaps, Differences and Implications for Music Therapy Clinical Practice and

Mark Ettenberger1,2, Łucja Bieleninik3,4, Shulamit Epstein5

  • 1Department of Music Therapy, University Hospital Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá 110111, Colombia.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|February 13, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Music therapy in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) supports parent-infant bonding and attachment. Understanding the distinct processes of bonding and attachment is crucial for effective NICU interventions and research.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Developmental psychology
  • Music therapy

Background:

  • Preterm birth and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) hospitalization cause parental stress, anxiety, and depression.
  • These challenges can negatively impact parental mental health, the parent-infant relationship, and child development.
  • Music therapy is an emerging clinical practice in the NICU aimed at fostering parent-infant relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To clarify the distinct concepts of parent-infant 'bonding' and 'attachment'.
  • To explore the implications of these distinctions for music therapy practice and research within the NICU.
  • To provide guidance for healthcare professionals on early parenting interventions.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and conceptual analysis of 'bonding' and 'attachment' in the context of the NICU.
  • Discussion of theoretical overlaps and differences between the two concepts.
  • Exploration of practical applications and scenarios for music therapists.

Main Results:

  • Bonding and attachment are distinct but related processes in early parent-infant relationship formation.
  • Differentiating between bonding and attachment is essential for precise theoretical application.
  • Clearer definitions can enhance the effectiveness of music therapy and other NICU interventions.

Conclusions:

  • Distinguishing between bonding and attachment is vital for music therapists and healthcare professionals in the NICU.
  • A more precise theoretical understanding can lead to improved clinical practice and research outcomes.
  • This distinction supports the development of targeted interventions to strengthen the parent-infant relationship during NICU stays.

Keywords:
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), family-centered careattachmentbondingmusic therapypreterm infants

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