Music therapy and weight gain in preterm infants: Secondary analysis of the randomized controlled LongSTEP trial

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Developmental Pediatrics
• Integrative Medicine

Background:

• Preterm infants often experience suboptimal weight gain and extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
• Music therapy (MT) is explored as an intervention to support infant development and well-being in NICU settings.
• The Longitudinal Study of Music Therapy's Effectiveness for Premature Infants and their Caregivers (LongSTEP) investigated MT's impact on NICU infants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the association between music therapy (MT) and weight gain in hospitalized preterm infants.
• To compare weight parameters between preterm infants receiving MT and those receiving standard care (SC).

Main Methods:

• Data from the randomized LongSTEP study compared MT and SC groups.
• Weight parameters including birth weight, enrollment weight, discharge weight, weight percentiles, Z-scores, weight gain velocity, and EUGR were analyzed.
• Perinatal factors and parental variables were examined for their influence on infant weight gain.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in weight parameters were observed between the MT and SC groups at birth, enrollment, or discharge.
• Extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR), indicated by Z-score changes, did not differ significantly between the groups.
• Younger gestational age and male sex were associated with an increased risk of EUGR, while other perinatal and parental factors did not significantly influence weight gain.

Conclusions:

• Music therapy (MT) was not associated with improved weight parameters in preterm infants compared to standard care (SC).
• The degree of prematurity remains the most significant risk factor for unfavorable weight parameters in preterm infants.
• Further research may explore other therapeutic interventions or refine MT protocols for NICU populations.