Music therapy modulates mothers' perception of their preterm infants.

Premature birth imposes considerable challenges on the preterm infant, but also challenges the mother, who may not yet be prepared for motherhood and encounter psychological stress during the post-partum period. This secondary analysis of a prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed to investigate how mothers perceive their preterm infants. We surveyed 33 mothers of preterm infants born before 32  weeks of gestation, who were participating in an RCT on music therapy.

Music Therapy in Preterm Infants Reduces Maternal Distress.

Preterm delivery is a stressful event for mothers, posing them at risk for post-traumatic stress reactions. This study examined the degree of depressive symptoms and post-traumatic stress in mothers of preterm infants born before 32 gestational weeks depending on whether the infant received music therapy in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or not. We included 33 mothers of preterm infants enrolled in a previously described prospective randomized controlled trial, of whom 18 received music therapy (mean mothers' age 34.

Impact of Physical Contact on Preterm Infants' Vital Sign Response to Live Music Therapy.

Evidence that music therapy stabilises vital parameters in preterm infants is growing, but the optimal setting for therapy is still under investigation. Our study aimed to quantify the effect of physical contact during live music therapy in preterm infants born < 32 weeks’ gestational age (GA) on post-therapy vital sign values. Live music therapy was delivered twice-weekly until discharge from hospital to 40 stable infants < 32 weeks’ GA.

Parents' Perception of Family-Centered Music Therapy with Stable Preterm Infants.

Premature birth places considerable demands on preterm infants and their families. Most of these infants are treated on a neonatal intensive care unit immediately after birth, leading to psychosocial stress for parents and making it more difficult to build a stable parent-child bond. We hypothesized that accompaniment with live music therapy by a music therapist supports the parents to get in contact with their child and to promote the parents' wellbeing.

Music Therapy Is Effective during Sleep in Preterm Infants.

Recent research found evidence supporting music therapy for preterm infants to stabilize vital signs and possibly promote neurodevelopment. Even though preterm infants spend a considerable amount of time sleeping, the effectiveness of music therapy during sleep has not been studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of music therapy on preterm infants' vital signs with respect to the state of wakefulness.