MUSIC THERAPY OF PREMATURE NEONATES:ACHIEVEMENTS AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

Research of effects of music on premature infants has been performed since 1970 th. The vast majority of investigations have revealed essential positive effects of music on various physiological indices of infants. During the previous 40 years, music therapy has developed from simple acoustic stimulation of a neonate to complex types of musical and psychotherapeutical interventions directed not only at an infant, but also at caregivers (primary at a mother) in order to support bonding of the dyad, disconnected by perinatal stress and long-term hospitalization in a NICU. In spite of multiple works about music therapy of neonates, a couple of aspects still require further research. Unfortunately, in the domestic literature we have succeeded to find relatively few reports about music therapy of neonates, whereas in several foreign clinics this method has already been included in the routine clinical practice. Possibly, “the acoustical mama-therapy” could appear optimal in domestic neonatal units.