Annotated Bibliography

The study, which was conducted at a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Southeastern United States, evaluated twenty-four premature infants between 32 to 40 weeks of age on the effects of music therapy to reduce inconsolable crying episodes. Along with inconsolable crying, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and mean arterial pressure were also measured. Two groups were randomly divided in the study, which was conducted over a four day period. Group A was exposed to lullaby music and received standard nursing interventions on days one and three, and group B was exposed to both interventions on days two and four. The alternate days for each group included standard nursing interventions only. The length of inconsolable crying and the physiological data were observed, measured, and recorded using a research design tool. On days in which music therapy was incorporated, infants were inconsolable approximately three times fewer, with the episodes lasting about 18 minutes less a day then on non-music exposure days. Physiologic measures were also improved for the days the infants listened to music versus the days when they did not.

The results of this quantitative study are useful in showing the difference music therapy makes on inconsolable preterm infants, as well as the improved physiologic measures documented. The study was somewhat limiting due to the small number of participants, however it did show evidence within this small group that indicates that music intervention did make a difference in these infants. Also, the study did not have specific standard nursing interventions set in place for each nurse/infant, but were instead tailored to fit the needs of the child, which brings some variability to the experi...

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...d music therapy which could put limitations on the findings. The research study was useful to the PICO question because it evaluated multiple studies on the effect music therapy has on preterm infants, and showed an increase in physiologic measures. However, weight gain results in the infants studied were not significant.

Works Cited

Standley, J. (2012). Music therapy research in the NICU: an updated meta-analysis. Neonatal Network,

31(5), 311-316. doi: 10.1891/0730-0832.31.5.311

Lubetzky, R., Mimouni, F., Dollberg, S., Reifen, R., Ashbel, G., & Mandel, D. (2010). Effect of music by Mozart on energy expenditure in growing preterm infants. Pediatrics, 125(1), e24-8. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-0990 Keith, D., Russel, K., & Weaver, B. (2009). The effects of music listening on inconsolable crying in premature infants. Journal of Music Therapy, 46(3), 191-203.