Resources & references

In this video, a music therapist and a mother share the benefits of music therapy for premature babies. 

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Researchers share their research studies exploring how music therapy supports premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) by enhancing cognition, easing pain, reducing noise stress, fostering parent bonding, and promoting development.

Music therapist and professor Helen Shoemark discusses the benefits of music therapy in pediatrics, including the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), highlighting pain management, physiological regulation, bonding, mental well-being, research in pediatric settings, and empowering families.

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This study shows that maternal singing during neonatal hospitalization can reduce anxiety and support wellbeing and early bonding after preterm birth, though mothers may need guidance and privacy to feel comfortable.

This video showcases the Jared Kurtin Music Therapy Program at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, which is a clinical and evidence-based program for hospitalized infants, children and their families. This hospital is a leader in creative medical treatment options and has the first established pediatric music therapy program in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Music therapist Emily Pivovarnik explains how music therapy  supports feeding, stress regulation, and adaptation to stimulation among premature infants. She also discusses her research on multimodal neurological enhancement (MNE) which combines music, gentle touch, and rocking to enhance brain development among babies.

Music therapists at the Montreal Children’s Hospital use instruments, vocals, and musical experiences to support children’s physical, cognitive, social, and emotional goals while promoting healing and a sense of safety for children and their parents through music therapy.

Visit a webpage exploring the use of music therapy in the NICU. The roles of both the music therapist and the parents are discussed, as are the benefits of music therapy for this popultion. Some useful links are also included.

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Learn how music therapy can support babies and their families in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), outlines common interventions, and details the training required for NICU music therapists.

Presentation by Tanya Lavoie, certified music therapist, working at the Montreal Children's Hospital.

Read an article on the use of music therapy for premature babies in level 3 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) settings. Results demonstrated significant improvements in physiological and stress markers even after a signle 15-minute session.

Click here to read the abstract of the original study.

Watch a video featuring music therapist Susan Bakouros showing how music therapy is offered in a hopsital NICU setting. Examples of using music therapy for feeding support, neurodevelopment and parental connection are discussed.