Maternal Anxiety, Infant Stress, and the Role of Live-Performed Music Therapy during NICU Stay in The Netherlands

Karianne E. Kraft, Artur C. Jaschke, Anne-Greet Ravensbergen, Annet Feenstra-Weelink, Maud E. L. van Goor, Marlou L. A. de Kroon, Sijmen A. Reijneveld, Arend F. Bos and Nienke H. van Dokkum
Additional contact information
Karianne E. Kraft: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Beatrix Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
Artur C. Jaschke: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Beatrix Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
Anne-Greet Ravensbergen: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Beatrix Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
Annet Feenstra-Weelink: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Beatrix Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
Maud E. L. van Goor: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Beatrix Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
Marlou L. A. de Kroon: Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
Sijmen A. Reijneveld: Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
Arend F. Bos: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Beatrix Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
Nienke H. van Dokkum: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Beatrix Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713GZ Groningen, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-13

Abstract: Having an infant in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) elicits maternal anxiety, which may hamper parent?child bonding. We performed a prospective cohort study to describe anxiety in mothers of infants born before 30 weeks of gestation during NICU stay in The Netherlands, and investigated the influence of infant stress and gestational age. Second, we performed a randomized-controlled live-performed music therapy trial (LPMT trial) to investigate whether music therapy applied to the infant alleviated maternal anxiety. The relation between infant stress, gestational age, and maternal anxiety was measured in 45 mother?infant dyads, using the Neonatal Infant Stressor Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The effect of LPMT on anxiety was assessed in 21 mothers whose infants were assigned to either LPMT ( n = 12) or waitlist ( n = 9). Mothers completed the STAI before and after this period. Maternal anxiety decreased over time in all mothers, and was strongly related with infant stress (r = 0.706, p < 0.001), but not with gestational age. Anxiety scores decreased by 12% after LMPT, and increased by 1% after a waitlist period ( p = 0.30). Our results indicate that LPMT in the weeks after birth may accelerate the reduction of maternal anxiety. Further research should focus on the effects on mother?child bonding.

Keywords: music therapy; neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); maternal anxiety; preterm infants; infant stress (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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