The value of music therapy in treating sick infants

Can gently humming or singing a melody to sick babies help them recover faster?

Researchers from the University of Western Sydney, working with the Music Therapy unit at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital and other research partners, are beginning a three-year study to find out.

Chief investigator, Dr Stephen Malloch from the MARCS Auditory Laboratories at UWS, says the effect of improvised music therapy on hospitalised infants has never been fully investigated.

"Healthy infants communicate with their caregivers by responding to the music-like rhythmic sounds of affection," Dr Malloch says. "Scientists already know this type of communication is very important for an infant's development, and those who do not receive this 'communicative musicality' can become withdrawn and upset.

"We want to learn whether human touch and communication during music therapy speeds up recovery times for sick babies, and what actually takes place between therapist and infant in this situation."

Dr Malloch says that to a seriously ill infant, a neonatal unit can be a hostile environment.

"The baby is often attached to a range of machines that are constantly beeping, and the child learns to associate adult contact with painful, invasive procedures," he says. "Added to this, the baby's parents are often extremely stressed and may find it difficult to chat to and touch their baby, as they would if the child was well and at home.

"The music therapist can supply this much-needed intimate contact, using the lilting rhythms of simple tunes to engage the baby's attention and let him or her know that the adult is responding to their communicative needs. In a clinical setting, the music therapist helps families keep that emotional connection with their sick infant."

The study will involve 120 babies, divided into three groups. One group of infants from the Royal Children's Hospital's Neonatal Unit will receive music therapy for four weeks; a control group from the unit will not receive music therapy during the study (but will be offered the therapy later), while another control group of healthy babies (from the Mercy Hospital for Women in Melbourne) will also be recruited for the study.

The study will record the sessions and look for any signs of physiological improvement, such as changes in heart rate, weight gain, or an interactive response.

Item provided courtesy of The University of Western Sydney