[Music therapy for prematures].

BACKGROUND

More than ever before the neonatal care besides the medical and nursing work has to been balanced between protecting the child against over extension due to the concept of "minimal handling" and on the other hand the necessary fostering of the young patients psychic and sensomotor development during the long stationary treatment. In addition to known approaches of auditive stimulation as receptive music therapy a concept of active music therapy methods based on the Nordoff/Robbins creative music-therapy (University Witten/Herdecke) is presented in a case-report.

PATIENT AND

METHODS

The report describes in a single case-report the music-therapeutic work with a premature of the 23 + 3 (th) week of pregnancy at the neonatological unit of the Vestische Kinder- und Jugendklinik Datteln, Universität Witten/Herdecke. The main focus was the observation of the prematures reactions on specific synchronisation of motoric, sensor and acoustical stimulation.

RESULTS

Positive reactions allow to presume the effectiveness of music therapy with early born children as they are already shown in clinical studies about receptive music therapy. On the level of involuntary motional actions in the area of head-, face- and hand movements increased directly reactions of awareness on the coordination of sensomotor and acoustical stimulation have been observed. Temporary increase of oxygen partial pressure and reduction of heart/pulse rate seem to cause positive physiological effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Active music therapeutic treatment does not seem to be an other risk of over-tension for prematures, but offers through the coordination of different levels of perception an adequate development fostering stimulation.