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Updated: Jun 3, 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
Effect of Music Intervention on Improving the Early Prognosis of the Preterm Infant in Chongqing, China: A Randomized
1Department of Pediatrics, University-Town Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 401331, China.
Insights
Music intervention for premature infants improved weight gain, feeding, and reduced hospital stays and costs. While respiratory rate changes were not significant, overall development and prognosis were enhanced.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Integrative Medicine
Background:
- Premature infants face challenges in growth, feeding, and prolonged hospital stays.
- Non-pharmacological interventions are sought to improve outcomes for these vulnerable infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of daily music intervention on premature infants' vital signs, weight gain, feeding patterns, and hospitalization outcomes.
- To assess the effect of music on hospital stay duration and associated costs.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 100 premature infants, divided into music intervention and control groups.
- The experimental group received 30 minutes of music daily until discharge.
- Outcomes measured included vital signs (respiratory rate, heart rate, SpO2), weight gain, feeding parameters, and hospital stay duration, with follow-up for 3 months post-discharge.
Main Results:
- Music intervention significantly reduced the time to regain birth weight and the duration of intravenous nutrition.
- The music group demonstrated improved feeding (lower fasting rate, faster sucking speed) and a shorter hospital stay with lower costs.
- Higher Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment (NBNA) scores and a lower re-hospitalization rate were observed in the music intervention group.
Conclusions:
- Early music intervention positively influences the growth, feeding, and overall short-term prognosis of preterm infants.
- Music intervention is associated with reduced hospitalization duration and costs, suggesting a beneficial role in neonatal care.
- Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to confirm effects on respiratory rate.
Objectives:
To investigate the effects of music intervention on the vital signs, weight gain, feeding, hospital stays, and cost of premature infants.
Methods:
100 premature infants were randomized into two groups: the experimental group (given music for 30 min at a time, once every day until discharge) and the control group (without music). To compare the vital signs (RR, HR, SPO2) before, during, and after the music intervention, as well as the weight gain and feeding, follow up to 3 months after discharge.
Results:
Although respiratory rate (RR) showed a decreasing trend at certain time points during and after music exposure, these changes did not reach statistical significance after adjusting for multiple comparisons. The experimental group had a shorter time to regain birth weight (6.07 ± 2.47 days) compared to the control group (8.93 ± 4.31 days) and a shorter time of intravenous nutrition (8.6 ± 3.87 days vs. 11.66 ± 5.85 days). The experimental group also exhibited a lower fasting rate, a faster-sucking speed, a lower hospital stay (10.36 ± 4.36 days vs. 12.46 ± 5.73 days), lower cost, higher NBNA scores, and a lower re-hospitalization rate within 3 months after the first discharge.
Conclusions:
Early music intervention may contribute to the growth and development of preterm infants, improve feeding, reduce hospitalization duration and costs, and improve short-term prognosis, though effects on respiratory rate require further study with a larger sample size.
