2026/06/03 by Kaisamari Kostilainen · 1 voice
Medicine · Psychology · #Infant Development and Preterm Care #Music Therapy and Health #Neonatal and fetal brain pathology
paper · pdf · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1730120
openalex publication_date 2026/06/03 · openalex created_date 2026/06/04 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Music-based research involving preterm infants is increasingly being conducted in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The objectives and methods of such research should be grounded in developmental neurology and the individual needs of preterm infants. However, existing research in this field is heterogeneous, and there is neither a unified developmental framework nor well-established guidelines to ensure the use of age-appropriate methods to prevent excessive sensory stimulation in this vulnerable population. This perspective article highlights key issues to consider when planning and conducting music interventions in NICUs and emphasizes the urgent need to establish general guidelines to ensure safe and ethical conduct of research. Such guidelines should follow developmental care principles, including risk management to avoid overstimulation, and consider the individual capacities of preterm infants to receive and process stimuli.