School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
School of Humanities and Communication Arts, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Aug 2;21(8):1018. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21081018.
After discharge from a neonatal unit, families of preterm infants may require therapeutic support to address challenges related to their infant/s' development, changed family circumstances, and/or parent wellbeing. This integrative review (IR) sought to examine the impact of music therapy on preterm infants and their families post-hospital discharge. A systematic search encompassing seven databases resulted in 83 citations, with six studies initially meeting the inclusion criteria. A further six studies were evaluated and selected upon their publication during the review process. Each study was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), followed by the identification of major themes and sub-themes. Our results suggest that music therapy contributed to creating supportive physical and metaphorical environments for preterm infants and their families, in which they could acquire essential skills, tools, and resources for fostering communication and connection with one another. Preterm infants and toddlers may have also enhanced their developmental skills through music therapy sessions post-discharge. Further investigation into the impact of music therapy on preterm infants and their caregivers at different timepoints after hospital discharge is recommended, as well as a comparison of individual and group music therapy outcomes on infant development and parent health. Future research should include a broader spectrum of family members, along with caregivers from diverse family structures and gender identities, reflecting practices already established in some clinical settings.
早产儿出院后，其家庭可能需要治疗性支持，以应对与婴儿发育、家庭环境变化和/或父母健康相关的挑战。本综合评价（IR）旨在探讨出院后音乐疗法对早产儿及其家庭的影响。通过系统搜索涵盖七个数据库，共得到 83 条引用，最初有 6 项研究符合纳入标准。在审查过程中，又有另外 6 项研究根据其发表情况进行了评估和选择。每项研究均使用混合方法评估工具（MMAT）进行评估，然后确定主要主题和次要主题。我们的研究结果表明，音乐疗法有助于为早产儿及其家庭创造支持性的物理和隐喻环境，使他们能够获得促进沟通和联系的必要技能、工具和资源。早产儿和幼儿也可能通过出院后的音乐疗法课程增强了他们的发育技能。建议进一步研究音乐疗法对出院后不同时间点的早产儿及其照顾者的影响，以及比较个体和小组音乐疗法对婴儿发育和父母健康的影响。未来的研究应包括更广泛的家庭成员，以及来自不同家庭结构和性别认同的照顾者，反映已经在一些临床环境中建立的实践。
