A new research study to investigate the benefits of music therapy in newborns has begun. The study is being conducted by the Music Therapy Unit at the Royal Children’s Hospital, researchers at the University of Western Sydney and other research partners*.
The three year study will seek to determine whether music therapy can help sick babies to recover faster and aid in their communication development.
The study will involve 80 babies from the Royal Children’s Hospital Neonatal Unit, divided into two groups. One group of infants will receive music therapy for four weeks, a control group from the unit will not receive music therapy during the study (but will be offered the therapy later), while another control group of healthy babies (from the Mercy Hospital for Women in Melbourne) will also be recruited as a healthy control group for the study.
According to Royal Children’s Hospital Music Therapist, Helen Shoemark, “As part of the study I will gently stroke, hum and sing melodies to each baby. The melodies are created in response to how the baby feels at the time. It’s like writing the baby their own song to encourage them to communicate.”
Each session will be recorded and researchers will look for any signs of physiological improvement such as changes in heart rate, weight gain, or an interactive response. They will also assess the way communication develops and compare this with the other two control groups to see if there’s a significant improvement.
The Royal Children’s Hospital is one of only two institutions in Australia to run a music therapy program in its Neonatal Unit. The program has been running for seven years and has provided much needed intimate contact to seriously ill babies, many of whom have undergone numerous invasive procedures. Music therapy also helps to encourage parents to make an emotional connection to their baby.
It is hoped that the research findings will establish the importance of music therapy and lead to more effective treatments for seriously ill newborns.
For further information, please contact Kate Stronach, Public Affairs, 9345 5138.
The story attracted the following media coverage:
- Channel 7 News 7.30 Report
- Channel 2 Sunrise
- Channel 7 Sky News
- Australia Sun Herald
- Sydney Drive 2SM – radio interview
*The Research Program is funded through an Australian Research Council Linage Project grant. The program is being run by the MARCS Auditory Laboratories at the University of Western Sydney in conjunction with the Royal Children’s Hospital, the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, the Mercy Hospital for Women and the University of Melbourne.