ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To provide an overview of developmental and medical benefits of music therapy for preterm infants. DESIGN: Meta-analysis. SAMPLE: Empirical music studies with preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). MAIN OUTCOME: Evidence-based NICU music therapy (NICU -MT ) was highly beneficial with an overall large significant effect size (Cohen's d = 0.82). Effects because of music were consistently in a positive direction. RESULTS: Results of the current analysis replicated findings of a prior meta-analysis and included extended use of music.(1) Benefits were greatest for live music therapy (MT ) and for use early in the infant's NICU stay (birth weight <1,000 g, birth postmenstrual age <28 weeks). Results justify strong consideration for the inclusion of the following evidence-based NICU -MT protocols in best practice standards for NICU treatment of preterm infants: music listening for pacification, music reinforcement of sucking, and music pacification as the basis for multilayered, multimodal stimulation.
Subject(s)
Infant Behavior/psychology , Infant, Premature , Intensive Care Units, Neonatal , Music Therapy/methods , Music/psychology , Object Attachment , Acoustic Stimulation/methods , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Neonatal Nursing/methods , Nursing Methodology Research , Tape Recording , United StatesABSTRACT
In this randomized, controlled multi-site study, the pacifier-activated-lullaby system (PAL) was used with 68 premature infants. Dependent variables were (a) total number of days prior to nipple feeding, (b) days of nipple feeding, (c) discharge weight, and (d) overall weight gain. Independent variables included contingent music reinforcement for non-nutritive sucking for PAL intervention at 32 vs. 34 vs. 36 weeks adjusted gestational age (AGA), with each age group subdivided into three trial conditions: control consisting of no PAL used vs. one 15-minute PAL trial vs. three 15-minute PAL trials. At 34 weeks, PAL trials significantly shortened gavage feeding length, and three trials were significantly better than one trial. At 32 weeks, PAL trials lengthened gavage feeding. Female infants learned to nipple feed significantly faster than male infants. It was noted that PAL babies went home sooner after beginning to nipple feed, a trend that was not statistically significant.
Subject(s)
Infant, Premature , Music Therapy/methods , Neonatal Nursing/methods , Pacifiers , Reinforcement, Psychology , Sucking Behavior , Analysis of Variance , Clinical Nursing Research , Enteral Nutrition/methods , Enteral Nutrition/nursing , Female , Gestational Age , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Infant, Premature/physiology , Infant, Premature/psychology , Intensive Care, Neonatal/methods , Length of Stay/statistics & numerical data , Male , Referral and Consultation , Sex Characteristics , Sucking Behavior/physiology , Weight GainABSTRACT
The purpose of the present study was to determine the efficacy of using music as a remedial strategy to enhance the reading skills of second-grade students and students who have been identified as having a specific learning disability (SLD) in reading. First, an intensive short-term music curriculum was designed to target reading comprehension and vocabulary skills at the second grade level. The curriculum was then implemented in classrooms at two public schools in the Southeast. Reading skills were evaluated pre and post curriculum intervention via the vocabulary and reading comprehension subtests of the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test for second grade. Analysis of pre/posttest data revealed that students with a specific disability in reading improved significantly from pre to post on all three subtests: word decoding (p = .04), word knowledge (p = .01), reading comprehension (p = .01), and test total (p = .01). Paired t-tests revealed that for 2nd grade students, both treatment and control classes improved significantly from pre to post on the subtests word decoding, word knowledge, and test total. While both classes made gains from pre to post on the subtest, reading comprehension, neither improved significantly. Analysis of Covariance revealed that the treatment class made greater gains pre to post than the control class on all 3 subtests (Including reading comprehension), and significantly greater gains on the subtest, word knowledge (p = .01).
Subject(s)
Dyslexia/therapy , Music Therapy/methods , Reading , Students/psychology , Child , Dyslexia/diagnosis , Educational Measurement/methods , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Multivariate Analysis , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Premature infants are fed by gavage tube before 34 weeks adjusted gestational age and when nipple feeding results in detrimental changes in respiration and heart rate. Nipple feeding skill must be developed and correlates with length of hospitalization and neurobehavioral development. This study provided music reinforcement for nonnutritive sucking and assessed nipple feeding rates pre- and posttreatment for 32 infants referred as poor feeders. A pacifier fitted with a pressure transducer activated 10 seconds of recorded music in a one-trial, 15-minute intervention given to experimental infants (n = 16) 30 to 60 minutes before the late afternoon bottle feeding. Feeding rates were collected for bottle feedings pre- and postintervention and for a similar interval for a no-contact control group (n = 16). Results showed that the intervention significantly increased feeding rates. Music functioned as reinforcement and the sucking behavior transferred from a nonnutritive to a nutritive event.
Subject(s)
Feeding Behavior/psychology , Infant Behavior/psychology , Infant, Premature/psychology , Music Therapy/methods , Sucking Behavior/physiology , Feeding Behavior/physiology , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Pacifiers , Reinforcement, Psychology , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
This meta-analysis on music research with premature infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) showed an overall large, significant, consistent effect size of almost a standard deviation (d =.83) (Cohen, 1998). Effects were not mediated by infants' gestational age at the time of study, birthweight, or type of music delivery nor by physiologic, behavioral, or developmental measures of benefit. The homogeneity of findings suggests that music has statistically significant and clinically important benefits for premature infants in the NICU. The unique acoustic properties that differentiate music from all other sounds are discussed and clinical implications for research-based music therapy procedures cited.
Subject(s)
Infant, Premature/growth & development , Music Therapy , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Low Birth Weight/growth & development , Infant, Low Birth Weight/psychology , Infant, Newborn , Infant, Premature/psychology , Male , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Con las mejoras de la atención médica en Estados Unidos, cada vez sobreviven más recién nacidos críticamente prematuros, de una edad gestacional cada vez más joven, muchos de los cuales pasan todo el último trimestre de su desarrollo en la unidad de cuidados intensivos neonatales. Las técnicas de la musicoterapia son prometedoras para tranquilizar a los recién nacidos, reduciendo el estrés, promoviendo el desarrollo del lenguaje y reforzando su madurez durante estos momentos tan críticos. La música puede también reducir la duración de su estancia en el hospital, y los costes médicos derivados asociados a los cuidados de estos recién nacidos. El objetivo de este artículo es describir las investigaciones que se han realizado en el campo de la musicoterapia con recen nacidos (RN) prematuros y las técnicas recomendadas desde esta modalidad de tratamiento durante su estancia hospitalaria en cuidados intensivos neonatales (AU)
