Music Therapy Is Effective during Sleep in Preterm Infants

Susann Kobus, Marlis Diezel, Monia Vanessa Dewan, Britta Huening, Anne-Kathrin Dathe, Ursula Felderhoff-Mueser and Nora Bruns
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Susann Kobus: Clinic for Pediatrics I, Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Marlis Diezel: Clinic for Pediatrics I, Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Monia Vanessa Dewan: Clinic for Pediatrics I, Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Britta Huening: Clinic for Pediatrics I, Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Anne-Kathrin Dathe: Clinic for Pediatrics I, Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Ursula Felderhoff-Mueser: Clinic for Pediatrics I, Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
Nora Bruns: Clinic for Pediatrics I, Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 16, 1-10

Abstract: 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. The first 20 consecutive infants born with <32 weeks’ gestational age (GA) from the intervention group of an ongoing randomized controlled trial received live music therapy twice a week until hospital discharge. The heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and state of wakefulness were recorded before and after therapy. We observed significantly lower heart and respiratory rates and higher oxygen saturation after live music therapy sessions in general (mean differences ?4.9 beats per min; ?7.0 breaths per min and +1.5%, respectively). When music therapy was applied during sleep, respiratory rates significantly lowered by 8.8 breaths per min and oxygen saturation increased by 1.6%, whereas in the awake state the vital parameters did not significantly change (heart rate ?5.2 beats per min; respiratory rate +0.6 breaths per min and oxygen saturation +1.0%). Music therapy stabilized the respiratory rates and oxygen saturations in sleeping preterm infants.

Keywords: music therapy; preterm infants; sleep; neonatal intensive care unit; premature infants (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 (4)

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