Introduction: Infant-directed singing is a medium for parents and infants to communicate in a mutual relationship. Infant-directed singing is a multisensory biopsychosocial communication that also applies to ill and vulnerable hospitalised infants. The first Nordic implementation process of family-centred neonatal music therapy started in Sweden at the Central Hospital in Karlstad by the first author in March 2010 (Fig. 1). Live lullaby singing during painful procedures is the first clinical trial to measure the pain-relieving effects of live lullaby singing during venepuncture in preterm and term neonates.
Method: 38 infants were subjected to venepuncture with and without live lullaby singing, in a randomised order with a cross over design. Parent-preferred lullabies were performed live by a music therapy student and standard care (facilitated tucking and oral glucose) was provided for all infants. Behavioural and physiological pain responses were assessed. The data from the RCT was analysed with qualitative and quantitative methods.
Results: During the lullaby procedures the physiological patterns were more stable and regular. Lullaby singing significantly calmed the infants’ respiration before venepuncture (Fig. 2). There were nonsignificant indications of fewer and shorter skin punctures with lullaby singing. The behavioural pain responses did not show any significant differences between the live lullaby singing and standard care procedures, however, nor did they indicate that live lullaby singing was harmful or stressful.
Conclusion: Live singing with infants is a biopsychosocial communicative interaction. A music therapist specialised in family-centred neonatal music therapy methods can mentor parents how to use live lullaby singing in connection to painful procedures. More research is needed to explore the potential benefits of family-centred music therapy as procedural support including the voice of the parents.