Introducing music therapy in the neonatal intensive care unit: exploring challenges, benefits, and experiences through a pilot project. Emma Kenrick and Claire Flower
‘I couldn’t just lift him out, he had various monitors and oxygen – I felt…quite useless, but then when I started singing I felt very useful, so I really turned it around then….when you’re singing it’s just a gamechanger when it comes to soothing.’ These are the words of a parent who had music therapy during their time on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
In such an environment, filled with machines, alarms, uncertainty and emotional strain, music can become more than a sound. It becomes connection. NICU music therapy uses gentle, tailored musical interactions, led by HCPC registered Music Therapists, to support babies’ development and to nurture bonds between parents and their infants, even when physical touch isn’t possible.
The impact reaches far beyond the cotside. Parents have reported reduced anxiety and a restored sense of confidence and closeness. For babies, music therapy can support physiological stability, sensory regulation and early communication. Staff too, noted a calmer and more compassionate atmosphere on the ward, as well as more engagement in other therapies.
This work matters to families finding hope in the hardest moments and to wider communities as together we seek to nurture the earliest foundations of wellbeing and attachment.
We are deeply grateful to The Music Therapy Charity for funding this vital research, helping us continue to grow the evidence that will shape NICU music therapy for the future.
In such an environment, filled with machines, alarms, uncertainty and emotional strain, music can become more than a sound. It becomes connection. NICU music therapy uses gentle, tailored musical interactions, led by HCPC registered Music Therapists, to support babies’ development and to nurture bonds between parents and their infants, even when physical touch isn’t possible.
The impact reaches far beyond the cotside. Parents have reported reduced anxiety and a restored sense of confidence and closeness. For babies, music therapy can support physiological stability, sensory regulation and early communication. Staff too, noted a calmer and more compassionate atmosphere on the ward, as well as more engagement in other therapies.
This work matters to families finding hope in the hardest moments and to wider communities as together we seek to nurture the earliest foundations of wellbeing and attachment.
We are deeply grateful to The Music Therapy Charity for funding this vital research, helping us continue to grow the evidence that will shape NICU music therapy for the future.