Music in the Hospital: Positive Effects on Neonatal Care

The effects of stimulating and sedating music played through in-ceiling radios were determined for heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure of premature infants in an intensive care nursery. The results indicate that the calming and stabilizing effect of sedating music might help to reduce the use of sedative drugs in infants on ventilators and reduce the incidence of respiratory problems.

An article in the Neonatal Network: The Journal of Neonatal Nursing conducted a study, which revealed that a state of relaxation may facilitiate the newborn's ability to regulate his/her behavioural state organization despite the noxious environmental stimuli in the hospital nursery. Music has distinct effects on the human organism. Soothing music can be used to achieve an alpha wave brain state, which initiates a state of relaxed awareness.

Music played through in-ceiling radios, with a flowing, lyrical melody, simple harmony, can help to stimulate the relaxation response. Music can stimulate the release of endorphins from the brain. Endorphins naturally produce a state of wellbeing in the body. Neural impulses activated by soothing music played from in-ceiling radios can trigger reactions in the nervous system to produce relaxation in muscle tone, brain wave frequency, along with other positive responses and reflexes in the body. Music also facilitates a state of balance in emotions.

The results of this study have implications for nursing practice. The findings suggest that exposing newborns to soothing music would be a cost-effective, feasible aid for nurses to decrease instances of high stress states among infants in their care. Nurses should become aware of the usefulness of music as a health intervention to provide more holistic care for newborns.

The KBSOUND® 5” kit has been engineered with a top-of-the-line two-way speaker to deliver premium performances that will envelope you in sound. This in-ceiling speaker is ideal for any room size and is highly recommended for use in hospitals, like in clinic waiting areas and special-care facilities such as the Neonatal Nursery.