• Capan N. How effective are musical and vocal interventions to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants born preterm?A Cochrane Review summary with commentary. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2024 Jun;66(6):679-682. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.15892. Epub 2024 Mar 11. PMID: 38468405.

• Xiang Q, Chen JJ, Feng NN, Li XH. Research progress of music intervention in nursing of premature infants in neonatal intensive care unit. Technol Health Care. 2024 Sep 5. doi: 10.3233/THC-241263. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39302405.

• Pino O, Di Pietro S, Poli D. Effect of Musical Stimulation on Placental Programming and Neurodevelopment Outcome of Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 3;20(3):2718. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20032718. PMID: 36768104; PMCID: PMC9915377.

• Costa VS, Bündchen DC, Sousa H, Pires LB, Felipetti FA. Clinical benefits of music-based interventions on preterm infants' health: A systematic review of randomised trials. Acta Paediatr. 2022 Mar;111(3):478-489. doi: 10.1111/apa.16222. Epub 2022 Jan 31. PMID: 34919292.

• Mohan A, Gokulakrishnan G, El-Saie A, Brickley A, Hagan J, Pammi M. Music therapy for preterm neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit: An overview of systematic reviews. Acta Paediatr. 2021 Dec;110(12):3180-3200. doi: 10.1111/apa.16055. Epub 2021 Aug 9. PMID: 34346112.

• Filippa M, Lordier L, De Almeida JS, Monaci MG, Adam-Darque A, Grandjean D, Kuhn P, Hüppi PS. Early vocal contact and music in the NICU: new insights into preventive interventions. Pediatr Res. 2020 Jan;87(2):249-264. doi: 10.1038/s41390-019-0490-9. Epub 2019 Jul 2. PMID: 31266053.

• Hartling L, Shaik MS, Tjosvold L, Leicht R, Liang Y, Kumar M. Music for medical indications in the neonatal period: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2009 Sep;94(5):F349-54. 2009 May 28. PMID: 19477913.

Music can help regulate heart rates, respiratory rates, and oxygen saturation levels. Its calming and rhythmic properties support the regulation of autonomic functions.

• Erdei, C., Sunwoo, J., Corriveau, G.C. et al.Effect of music-based interventions on physiologic stability of hospitalized preterm infants. A pilot study. J Perinato 2024, l44, 665–670

• Amini E, Rafiei P, Zarei K, Gohari M, Hamidi M. Effect of lullaby and classical music on physiologic stability of hospitalized preterm infants: a randomized trial. J Neonatal Perinatal Med. 2013 Jan 1;6(4):295-301. doi: 10.3233/NPM-1371313. PMID: 24441085.

Music helps alleviate infant stress caused by discomfort and overstimulation. Music reduces instances of apnea (pauses in breathing) and bradycardia (slowed heart rate), promoting more restful sleep.

• van der Straaten M, van den Hoogen A, Tataranno ML, van Berkel CJM, Schmit L, Jeekel H, Hennink A, Benders M, Dudink J. Impact of daily music on comfort scores in preterm infants: a randomized controlled trial. Pediatr Res. 2024 Sep 23. doi: 10.1038/s41390-024-03586-6. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39313555.

• Sharma A, Sharma N, Chahal A. Navigating the Landscape of Preterm Neonatal Pain: A New Horizon in Sensory Stimulation. Journal of Clinical Neonatology, 2024, 13(1): 19-26.

• Provasi J, Blanc L, Carchon I. The Importance of Rhythmic Stimulation for Preterm Infants in the NICU. Children (Basel). 2021 Jul 29;8(8):660. doi: 10.3390/children8080660. PMID: 34438551; PMCID: PMC8393990.

Music can contribute to improved feeding habits, leading to better weight gain.

• Shabnam J, Mahsa A, Manoochehr M, et al. Effect of music on the growth monitoring of low birth weight newborns. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 2021, 14: 100312.

Music offers emotional support to mothers, reducing feelings of depression and anxiety during a challenging time.

• Cheung P S, Mohamad M M, Fitzpatrick K, et al. A Specialised Antenatal Music Therapy (SAMT) programme for pregnant women with mental health conditions: A mixed-methods proof-of-concept study in Ireland. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 2024: 1-23.

• Lai HL, Chen CJ, Peng TC, Chang FM, Hsieh ML, Huang HY, Chang SC. Randomized controlled trial of music during kangaroo care on maternal state anxiety and preterm infants' responses. Int J Nurs Stud. 2006 Feb;43(2):139-46. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2005.04.008. Epub 2005 Jul 5. PMID: 15996669.

Music creates opportunities for connection, enhancing the bond between parents and their infants.

• Shoemark, H. (2018). Time Together: A feasible program to promote parent-infant interaction in the NICU.Music Therapy Perspectives, 36(1), 6–16.   

• Shoemark, H., Dahlstrøm, M., Bedford, O., & Stewart, L. (2021). The effect of a voice-centered psycho-educational program on maternal self-efficacy: A feasibility study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 18, 2537.

Neuroimaging studies, such as MRI, have shown that music therapy can enhance brain maturation and function. Music positively impacts brain development, particularly in areas related to auditory processing and cognitive functions, stimulating neural pathways essential for language and communication.

• Sa de Almeida J, Baud O, Fau S, Barcos-Munoz F, Courvoisier S, Lordier L, Lazeyras F, Hüppi PS. Music impacts brain cortical microstructural maturation in very preterm infants: A longitudinal diffusion MR imaging study. Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2023 Jun;61:101254. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101254. Epub 2023 May 11. PMID: 37182337; PMCID: PMC10200857.

• Ren H, Zou L, Wang L, Lu C, Yuan Y, Dai C, Chen W. Evaluation of the Short-Term Music Therapy on Brain Functions of Preterm Infants Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. Front Neurol. 2021 Sep 28;12:649340. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2021.649340. PMID: 34650500; PMCID: PMC8505667.

• Lordier L, Meskaldji DE, Grouiller F, Pittet MP, Vollenweider A, Vasung L, Borradori-Tolsa C, Lazeyras F, Grandjean D, Van De Ville D, Hüppi PS. Music in premature infants enhances high-level cognitive brain networks. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Jun 11;116(24):12103-12108. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1817536116. Epub 2019 May 28. PMID: 31138687; PMCID: PMC6575179.

• Sa de Almeida J, Lordier L, Zollinger B, Kunz N, Bastiani M, Gui L, Adam-Darque A, Borradori-Tolsa C, Lazeyras F, Hüppi PS. Music enhances structural maturation of emotional processing neural pathways in very preterm infants. Neuroimage. 2020 Feb 15;207:116391. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116391. Epub 2019 Nov 22. PMID: 31765804.

Exposure to music, especially through lullabies and maternal singing, stimulates the auditory cortex, improving auditory processing abilities and supporting language and communication skill development.

• Bieleninik L, Kvestad I, Gold C, Stordal AS, Assmus J, Arnon S, Elefant C, Ettenberger M, Gaden TS, Haar-Shamir D, Håvardstun T, Lichtensztejn M, Mangersnes J, Wiborg AN, Vederhus BJ, Ghetti CM. Music Therapy in Infancy and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Preterm Children: A Secondary Analysis of the LongSTEP Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 May 1;7(5):e2410721. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.10721. Erratum in: JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Jul 1;7(7):e2426477. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.26477. PMID: 38753331; PMCID: PMC11099691.

• Haslbeck FB, Mueller K, Karen T, Loewy J, Meerpohl JJ, Bassler D. Musical and vocal interventions to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes for preterm infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023 Sep 7;9(9):CD013472. PMID: 37675934; PMCID: PMC10483930.

• Lejeune F, Lordier L, Pittet MP, Schoenhals L, Grandjean D, Hüppi PS, Filippa M, Borradori Tolsa C. Effects of an Early Postnatal Music Intervention on Cognitive and Emotional Development in Preterm Children at 12 and 24 Months: Preliminary Findings. Front Psychol. 2019 Mar 5;10:494. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00494. PMID: 30890993; PMCID: PMC6411849.