Effect of Music Intervention on Improving the Early Prognosis of the Preterm Infant in Chongqing, China: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the effects of music intervention on the vital signs, weight gain, feeding, hospital stays, and cost of premature infants. Methods: 100 premature infants were randomized into two groups: the experimental group (given music for 30 min at a time, once every day until discharge) and the control group (without music). To compare the vital signs (RR, HR, SPO2) before, during, and after the music intervention, as well as the weight gain and feeding, follow up to 3 months after discharge. Results: Although respiratory rate (RR) showed a decreasing trend at certain time points during and after music exposure, these changes did not reach statistical significance after adjusting for multiple comparisons. The experimental group had a shorter time to regain birth weight (6.07 ± 2.47 days) compared to the control group (8.93 ± 4.31 days) and a shorter time of intravenous nutrition (8.6 ± 3.87 days vs. 11.66 ± 5.85 days). The experimental group also exhibited a lower fasting rate, a faster-sucking speed, a lower hospital stay (10.36 ± 4.36 days vs. 12.46 ± 5.73 days), lower cost, higher NBNA scores, and a lower re-hospitalization rate within 3 months after the first discharge. Conclusions: Early music intervention may contribute to the growth and development of preterm infants, improve feeding, reduce hospitalization duration and costs, and improve short-term prognosis, though effects on respiratory rate require further study with a larger sample size.