The Effect of Maternal Lullaby Singing, Affectionate Touch, and a Developmental Support Program on Comfort and Development in Premature Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

In 30 seconds

This randomized controlled trial investigated the impact of maternal lullaby singing and affectionate touch on comfort and development in 57 premature infants in a neonatal intensive care unit. The intervention group showed significantly lower comfort scores at multiple time points and improved social-emotional, receptive language, productive language, and cognitive skills at one month compared to the control group, with p-values indicating statistical significance.

Key findings

• Post-intervention comfort scores were significantly lower in the intervention group at weeks 1, 2, and 4.
• At one month, social-emotional development was significantly higher in the intervention group (p=0.028).
• Receptive language skills were significantly better in the intervention group at one month (p=0.005-0.009).
• Cognitive skills at one month also favored the intervention group (p=0.004).

Why it matters

The findings suggest that maternal engagement through singing and touch can enhance comfort and developmental outcomes in premature infants, which is crucial for their long-term health and development.