Interventions among Pregnant Women in the Field of Music Therapy: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Objective To investigate in the literature the studies on the benefits of music therapy interventions among pregnant women in the prenatal, delivery and postpartum periods. Data Sources The search for articles was carried out in the following electronic databases: VHL, LILACS, SciELO, Portal CAPES, PsycINFO, ERIC, PubMed/Medline, and journals specialized in this field: Revista Brasileira de Musicoterapia (“Brazilian Journal of Music Therapy”) and Voices. Study Selection Descriptors in Portuguese (musicoterapia, gravidez, gestantes, revisão), English (music therapy, pregnancy, pregnant women, review) and Spanish (musicoterapia, embarazo, mujeres embarazadas, revisión) were used. The search was delimited between January 2009 and June 2019. The process of selection and evaluation of the articles was performed through peer review. Data Collection The following data were extracted: article title, year of publication, journal, author(s), database, country and date of collection, purpose of the study, sample size, type of care, intervention, instruments used, results, and conclusion. The data were organized in chronological order based on the year of publication of the study. Summary of the Data In total, 146 articles were identified, and only 23 studies were included in this systematic review. The articles found indicate among their results relaxation, decreased levels of anxiety, psychosocial stress and depression, decreased pain, increase in the maternal bond, improvement in the quality of sleep, control of the fetal heart rate and maternal blood pressure, and decreased intake of drugs in the postoperative period. Conclusion Music therapy during the prenatal, delivery and postpartum periods can provide benefits to pregnant women and newborns, thus justifying its importance in this field.

Effectiveness of Music on Perinatal Anxiety Among Pregnant Women and Newborn Behaviors: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis

“…Neonates in the music group had significantly better performance on range and period showed an improved outcome in their newborns' behaviors during the postnatal period. 48 Consistent with these findings, a previous review 25 found that listening to music (including lullabies, group singing sessions, the classical form of music, or patients' preferred music) during pregnancy helped in relaxation; decreased anxiety, psychosocial stress, depression, and pain; improved mother-child bonding and quality of sleep; and helped in the regulation of physiological parameters such as heart rate and blood pressure. It was also observed that, other than classical music, women listening to their preferred music reduced anxiety levels, and that lullaby music also helped promote maternal-fetal bonding and well-being.…”

“…17,22 Previous systematic reviews showed the effectiveness of various interventions pertaining to listening to music in controlling pain during childbirth; management of depression, stress, or anxiety; management of women with high-risk pregnancies; and emotional bonding with the growing fetus or newborn. 11,[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] However, there is limited evidence to suggest the effect of listening to music on perinatal anxiety among low-risk pregnant women, their growing fetus, and/or their newborns in terms of their behaviors. Although any type of music may have anti-anxiety effects and provide soothing or relaxation to an individual, the most effective form of music in this regard is classical music.…”

Relaxation response, brainwaves, and quality of life in women with nausea and vomiting during pregnancy

“…Mothers with moderate and severe levels of nausea and vomiting are more likely to report poor sleep quality compared to those in the mild category (Li et al, 2021). Music therapy treatment positively affects sleep problems in pregnant women (Shimada et al, 2021).…”

How music may support perinatal mental health: an overview

“…There are several systematic and narrative reviews on the use of music-based interventions, approaches and practices to support maternal health and mental health including, e.g. McKinney (1990), Terry and Terry (2012), Hollins Martin (2014), Corbijn van Willenswaard et al (2017, Wulff et al (2017), Parmar (2019), Yang et al (2020) and Shimada et al 2021. The purpose of this overview is to provide a broader view of this area than is possible in these more targeted reviews.…”