Physiological Effects of Music Therapy in Neonatal Intensive Care Setting Observational Study

Abstract

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) infants are known to experience pain and anxiety during the multiple procedures they undergo in the first two weeks of life [1,2-5]. These stressors often result in a decline in oxygen saturation, increase in heart rate, increase in blood pressure, and elevation in pain scores. It is imperative to mitigate added stress in this population due to the long-term developmental ramifications of this physical stress. Previous literature demonstrates that music therapy-based interventions can return these physiologic parameters to baseline and even improve them. Studies on music therapy in the neonatal population are scarce, with two to four publications per year, and typically involve the high severity group that are intubated. Many of these studies have focused on the effects of music therapy on physiological vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. While some studies examine the pain levels in NICU intubated patients, many base their measurements for stress on a patient’s vital signs [3,6,7]. However, few research teams have studied non-intubated NICU patients, and have rarely utilized standardized pain scales such as the Face Legs Activity Cry Consolability (FLACC) Scale or the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS) to determine their results. Our study aims to address these gaps in knowledge by observing music therapy interventions based on time of the session, non-intubated neonates, and using perceived stress scales. According to the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), music therapy is an evidence-based intervention offered as part of the multidisciplinary healthcare team [4]. For neonatal patients, interventions include parental songwriting with instruments, music-assisted relaxation, and womb sounds. Unlike many other studies in established literature,our study was exclusively facilitated by board-certified NICU trained Music Therapists.