Feasibility of Live-Performed Music Therapy for Extremely and Very Preterm Infants in a Tertiary NICU

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to investigate the feasibility of live-performed music therapy for extremely and very preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and their parents, starting the 1st−2nd week after birth. They may benefit from live-performed music therapy as comforting non-pharmacological intervention. Study Design: We included infants born before 30 weeks' gestation in a single center NICU study. Live-performed music therapy was provided three times per week, tailored to the infant's medical condition. Parents were actively involved. Feasibility was determined as a combination of participation, drop-out, overstimulation (based on COMFORT-Neo scores), and evaluations of the intervention by parents and nurses (using a questionnaire on perceived effects on the parent, their infant and the NICU sound environment). Results: We included 18 infants (90% participation rate), with a gestational age of median 27 weeks (IQR 26–28 weeks), 61% males. One infant (5.6%) dropped-out. Differences of COMFORT-Neo scores during and after sessions compared with before sessions were non-significant; overstimulation by music therapy did not occur. Parents reported high satisfaction (highest score possible of 7) with the interventions and reported improvements in both infant and their own respiratory rates. Nurses also reported high satisfaction with the intervention and perceived a quieter NICU sound environment during and after sessions. Conclusion: Live-performed music therapy for extremely and very preterm infants is feasible and well-tolerated, and is experienced as an added value to developmental care. Future studies should assess both short-term and long-term effects, to determine whether this intervention should be part of routine care at the NICU and whether it is most beneficial to start shortly after birth.

Family-centered music therapy—Empowering premature infants and their primary caregivers through music: Results of a pilot study

“…No music therapy session had to be prematurely terminated due to overstimulation of the premature infant. These results are also confirmed by van Dokkum et al, who made similar observations in their study and consider that an interactive live-improvised music therapy intervention by a certified and specifically trained neonatal music therapist is feasible for extremely and very preterm infants [ 66 ].…”

“…results are also confirmed by van Dokkum et al, who made similar observations in their study and consider that an interactive live-improvised music therapy intervention by a certified and specifically trained neonatal music therapist is feasible for extremely and very preterm infants [66]. However, the RCT design entailed various challenges during the implementation process.…”

Combining Kangaroo Care and Live-Performed Music Therapy: Effects on Physiological Stability and Neurological Functioning in Extremely and Very Preterm Infants

“…LPMT can be defined as “a clinical and evidence-based health intervention in which music is used within a therapeutic setting to address patients’ physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs” [ 19 ]. LPMT is a feasible intervention that is tolerated well and does not cause overstimulation in extremely and very preterm infants [ 25 , 26 ].…”

“…The individual KC and LPMT interventions have therefore proven their value in neonatal care [ 25 , 27 ]. Nonetheless, only a few studies exist that investigate the combined effects of musical interventions and KC [ 24 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ].…”

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

“…Parents were actively involved and received extensive information on LPMT before the first session, they were mainly present during the sessions, and were provided with their song-of-kin if they had chosen one. A more extensive description of the intervention used in our LPMT trial has been described previously [ 29 ].…”