Publications by authors named "Maria Chifa"
Infants born prematurely are considered at risk for language development delay and impairments. Using online parental reports, the present study investigated the influence of early musical experience in the home environment (Music@Home Infant Questionnaire) on language development (MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory) while controlling for general enrichment at home (Stim-Q Cognitive Home Environment Questionnaire) and perinatal post-traumatic stress disorder (Perinatal PTSD Questionnaire). Caregivers of 117 infants between 8 and 18 months of age (corrected age) without reported developmental difficulties completed an online survey.
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- Parents of infants in NICUs experience significant stress, including PTSD symptoms, but the role of sounds in contributing to this stress is not well understood.
- The "Soundscape of NICU Questionnaire" (SON-Q) was developed to measure parents' perceptions of how NICU sounds affect their stress levels and those of their infants, from pre-birth to post-discharge.
- Research using the SON-Q revealed strong connections between NICU sound experiences and levels of parental stress, emphasizing the need for further studies and interventions to support parents' mental health, potentially benefiting infant development.