This has emerged from research by Hanneke van Dokkum of the UMCG. According to her, music therapy is an important step to reduce developmental problems in neonates. She obtained her doctorate on 8 February at the University of Groningen on the results of her dissertation.
Premature birth
If children are born before the 30th week of pregnancy, an important stage in brain development takes place outside the womb. Premature birth has major consequences for the neurological development of the child. Despite major medical and technological advancements in neonatology, developmental problems in this group remain a major challenge. The goal of Hanneke van Dokkum’s thesis was to take an important step forward in reducing developmental problems in premature babies. To this end, she researched, among other things, the effect of music therapy on the neonatology ward.
Music therapy
Since 2018, newborns in the UMCG can receive music therapy in the neonatology department. This is always done in consultation with parents. The music therapy at the UMCG is live and is given by a recognized music therapist. For example, the music therapist may play the guitar, sing, or hum for the newborn. In her study, Hanneke van Dokkum investigated the feasibility and applicability of music therapy. All children were able to receive music therapy without overstimulation. Parents were often present during the sessions and they were very satisfied with the music therapy. The nurses were also satisfied and indicated that the ward became quieter during the music therapy.
The research shows that music therapy has a positive effect on the quality of the newborns’ movements. It also appeared to have an effect on the activities of the children’s brains; the brain could become both more active and less active during music therapy. It also turned out that the amount of oxygen in the brain fluctuated less during music therapy than before and after.
Mothers
Hanneke van Dokkum also investigated whether music therapy influenced the mothers of premature babies. Mothers with music therapy experienced less anxiety than mothers of newborns who did not receive music therapy. Van Dokkum: “Offering music therapy to mother and child during admission to the NICU therefore seems to be beneficial for both”. A form of music therapy intervention specifically developed for parents appears to support them in situations surrounding death, but also in parent-child bonding. In this therapy, the recorded heart rate of the child is the basis. Music therapy therefore appears to be of great added value for both parent and child during admission to the neonatology ward.
Brain development
According to Van Dokkum, music therapy can be used safely for the smallest premature babies. Van Dokkum: “Music therapy probably leads to an improved developmental outcome through the activation of the brain, stress reduction, improved parent-child interaction and an enrichment of the environment with music sounds that mimic the natural environment of a baby in the mother’s womb”. Van Dokkum advocates wider use of music therapy as an early intervention during pregnancy and in the NICU. “It can relieve stress and help promote parent-child interaction.” Monitoring the brain development of preterm infants should be a top priority, she says, both before and after birth, in order to improve the neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm infants.
By: National Education Guide
