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Updated: Nov 7, 2025
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 Early Vocal Contact in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Study Protocol for a Multi-Centre, Randomised
Manuela Filippa1,2, Elisa Della Casa3, Roberto D'amico4
1Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, 24, rue General Dufour, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
Insights
Early vocal contact (EVC) may improve preterm infant development. This study investigates EVC
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Development
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Medicine
Background:
- Preterm infants face developmental risks due to atypical environments and parental separation.
- Limited evidence exists on early vocal contact's impact on autonomic nervous system maturation and long-term neurodevelopment.
- Investigating early interventions is crucial for mitigating negative outcomes in preterm infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of early vocal contact (EVC) on preterm infants' physiology, neurobehavior, and development.
- To assess the impact of EVC on autonomic nervous system maturation (heart rate variability).
- To evaluate the long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes associated with EVC in preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- Multi-centric study involving 80 stable preterm infants (25-32 weeks gestation).
- Randomized controlled trial with an intervention group receiving EVC and a control group.
- Comprehensive assessments of physiological, neurobehavioral, and developmental measures at multiple time points up to 24 months corrected age.
Main Results:
- Data collection and analysis are ongoing.
- The study aims to provide insights into the physiological and developmental effects of EVC.
- Results will elucidate the long-term impact of EVC on neurodevelopment.
Conclusions:
- Early interventions in neonatal intensive care units can positively influence neurodevelopment.
- EVC presents a potentially beneficial, easily implementable intervention for preterm infants.
- Further research is needed to clarify the long-term effects of EVC on infant neurodevelopment and maternal well-being.
Abstract:
Preterm infants are at risk for developing altered trajectories of cognitive, social, and linguistic competences compared to a term population. This is mainly due to medical and environmental factors, as they are exposed to an atypical auditory environment and simultaneously, long periods of early separation from their parents. The short-term effects of early vocal contact (EVC) on an infant's early stability have been investigated. However, there is limited evidence of its impact on the infant's autonomic nervous system maturation, as indexed by heart rate variability, and its long-term impact on infant neurodevelopment. Our multi-centric study aims to investigate the effects of EVC on a preterm infant's physiology, neurobehaviour, and development. Eighty stable preterm infants, born at 25-32 weeks and 6 days gestational age, without specific abnormalities, will be enrolled and randomised to either an intervention or control group. The intervention group will receive EVC, where mothers will talk and sing to their infants for 10 min three times per week for 2 weeks. Mothers in the control group will be encouraged to spend the same amount of time next to the incubator and observe the infant's behaviour through a standard cluster of indicators. Infants will be assessed at baseline; the end of the intervention; term equivalent age; and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months corrected age, with a battery of physiological, neurobehavioral, and developmental measures. Early interventions in the neonatal intensive care unit have demonstrated effects on the neurodevelopment of preterm infants, thereby lowering the negative long-term effects of an atypical auditory and interactional environment. Our proposed study will provide new insight into mother-infant early contact as a protective intervention against the sequelae of prematurity during this sensitive period of development. Early intervention, such as EVC, is intuitive and easy to implement in the daily care of preterm infants. However, its long-term effects on infant neurodevelopment and maternal sensitivity and stress are still unclear. Trial Registration: NCT04759573, retrospectively registered, 17 February 2021.
