Preterm infants exhibited less pain during a heel stick when they were played the same music their mothers listened to during pregnancy.

Aim: Playing music during painful procedures has shown inconsistent benefits for preterm infants. This study observed preterm infants during a heel stick procedure to assess whether listening to the music their mothers listened to during pregnancy had any impact on their pain and physiological and behavioural parameters.

Methods: We randomly exposed 42 preterm infants, with a mean gestational age of 31.8 ± 2.79 weeks, to the music their mothers listened to during pregnancy, recorded lullabies and no music, before, during and after a heel stick. Pain responses were measured using the Neonatal Pain, Agitation and Sedation Scale (N-PASS), and physiological and behavioural responses were recorded by a nurse blinded to the intervention.

Results: N-PASS pain scores were lowest during mothers' music, with a mean of 1.40 (±1.28), compared to 2.33 (±1.64) for no music and 1.62 (±2.27) for the lullabies [F(3/121) = 4.86, p = 0.009]. Physiological parameters were not significantly different between the conditions. During the mothers' music, infants spent more time in a quiet alert state, with a significant decrease in their respiratory rates.

Conclusion: The music mothers listened to during pregnancy was more beneficial for preterm infants, as it decreased pain and improved behavioural states during a heel stick.