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  1. UAMS Health
  2. NICU
  3. Caring for Your Baby in the NICU
  4. Music Therapy

Music Therapy

Music can be played for your baby as early as 28 weeks. Research shows that the greatest benefits of music therapy occur between 28-35 weeks.

Benefits of playing music include:

  • Soothing infants
  • Increasing oxygen saturation
  • Reducing stress
  • Increasing language stimulation

Lullabies (like Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and Rock-a-bye Baby) help promote language development.

Other benefits of music may include:

  • A decrease in hospital stay
  • An increase in the infant’s ability to calm self
  • An increase in weight gain

Here are some things to consider during music therapy:

  • Music should be kept low.
  • Music should be soothing, constant and relatively unchanging.
  • Please don’t provide music for over 15 minutes at a time and no more than 1.5 hours per day.
  • Your baby’s brain is growing and needs to rest so please protect their sleep and play before or after care or during Kangaroo care.
  • Radio stations should not be used.
  • Music should be discontinued if your baby shows any signs of distress (finger splay, hiccups, gagging, arching, change in muscle tone, change in color)
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