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Updated: Jul 18, 2026
Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Published on: January 7, 2020
Music Therapy Intervention Using a Holy Quran Recitation Improves Feeding Status, Weight Gain and Length of Stay
Farnoosh Rashvand1, Arina Qolizadeh, Maryam Momeni
1Author Affiliations: Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Prevention of Non-communicable Diseases, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran (Drs Rashvand and Momeni); and Department of Nursing, Faculty of Midwifery and Nursing, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University Tehran, Iran (Mrs Qolizadeh).
Insights
Listening to the Holy Quran significantly improved feeding status and weight gain in preterm infants, leading to shorter hospital stays. This complementary therapy aids in quicker infant discharge.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Clinical nutrition
- Complementary and alternative medicine
Background:
- Nutritional challenges and poor weight gain are significant concerns for preterm infants.
- These issues can lead to various serious complications in neonatal intensive care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of listening to the Holy Quran on feeding status.
- To assess the effects on postnatal weight gain and hospital stay duration in preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- A randomized clinical trial involving 80 preterm infants in Qazvin (2024).
- Infants were assigned to either a Holy Quran recitation group (n=40) or a control group (n=40).
- The intervention group listened to the Holy Quran for 20 minutes, three times daily, alongside routine care.
Main Results:
- Significantly fewer days were needed to achieve first and full oral feeding in the intervention group (P < .001).
- Greater mean weight gain was observed at the time of first oral feeding in the intervention group (P < .046).
- The mean length of hospital stay was significantly reduced for infants in the Holy Quran group (P < .001).
Conclusions:
- Listening to the Holy Quran, as a complementary therapy, can enhance feeding parameters in preterm infants.
- This method may contribute to a shorter hospital stay and facilitate earlier discharge for preterm neonates.
- The findings support the integration of auditory spiritual interventions in neonatal intensive care units.
Background:
One of the most important challenges that preterm infants face is nutritional problems. Poor postnatal weight gain can lead to various complications.
Purpose:
To determine the effects of listening to the Holy Quran on the feeding status, postnatal weight gain, and length of hospital stay of preterm infants.
Methods:
The current randomized clinical trial was conducted in the city of Qazvin in 2024. The samples included 80 preterm infants hospitalized in neonatal intensive care unit, who were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups (40 in the Holy Quran recitation group and 40 in the control group). In addition to the routine care, the participants in the intervention group listened to the Holy Quran via headphones for 20 minutes 3 times a day, whereas the participants in the control group did not receive any intervention.
Results:
The mean days to achieve the first oral feeding ( P < .001), the mean days to achieve full oral feeding ( P < .001), the mean weight gain at the time of achieving the first oral feeding ( P < .046), and the mean length of hospital stay ( P < .001) were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group.
Implications For Practice And Research:
In addition to standard treatments, listening to the Holy Quran, as a complementary method, can improve some parameters related to feeding and the quicker discharge of preterm infants.
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