The goal of the therapy is to get the child to sooth itself. Practitioners believe that a more
relaxed state improves eating and sleeping while reducing crying and physical discomfort.
While firm numbers are not available, it has been noted that many other hospitals with
similar presentations of NAS babies have started to integrate music therapy into their
treatment protocols.
Another article from PBS: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/music-therapy-helpedpremature-
baby reports on the use of music therapy in premature babies to help them gain weight faster. One specific effect reported stated:
“His oxygen saturation rate would fall at times, and the music therapy would get him to breathe at a more regular rate and normalize the oxygenation,” the mother said, adding that the low tones, wave sounds and music also helped calm the parents.
The article goes on to quote a study published in the journal “Pediatrics” 2013 that stated,
“Therapy can improve a preemie’s breathing, heart rate, feeding and sleep and, in some
cases, possibly reduce the number of days in the NICU. The study followed 272 premature
infants in 11 hospitals and found that the music, provided by a certified music therapist, offered stress relief for the parents too.”
There are many other articles that offer information in this area of music therapy versus medications to help improve medical conditions. One of the major considerations for music therapy to note is the fact that there are no known negative side effects. On the other hand, medications like Valium have many negative side effects. Some of the side effects are worse than what the medications is supposed to be correcting. For example, one side effect of Valium is irritability. With a NAS baby, irritability is already a problem so now if Valium is used, one may actually be exacerbating the problem rather than helping to correct it.
Another difference between music therapy and pharmaceuticals is the cost. It doesn’t cost much if anything to bring music into the therapy environment. On the other hand, the cost of pharmaceuticals and the personnel and licensing required to deliver them has a much greater economic impact.
Another advantage of music therapy, is that not only the individual that is receiving the
therapy is benefitted, but those around them are benefitted as well. So instead of the negative side effects that are found with so many pharmaceutical preparations, I would say there are positive effects from the music.
I can remember one time I was playing my harp in the surgical suite for a friend of mine who was undergoing a surgical procedure. The doctor performing the surgery was quite keen on the whole idea and performed the surgery flawlessly. As he finished, he told the attendants that they could take my friend back to the recovery area then he turned to me and said, “But you stay here and play more music.”
I must say, if I needed a pre-operative preparation for surgery; knowing what I know now about the effectiveness of music versus medication, music would be my choice!