The Effect of Mother’s Lullaby On Preterm Infants’ Physiological Parameters

INTRODUCTION: Inappropriate auditory stimulants lead to neonatal stress and changes in physiological parameters. Nowadays, particular emphasis is placed on the developmental aspects of the care of preterm infants. The lullaby is a suitable auditory stimulus for preterm infants, which as a subtype of developmental care decreases stress responses. This study investigates the effects of lullabies in mothers’ voices on preterm infants’ physiological parameters.
METHODS: This single group study is a randomized clinical trial. Forty study-qualified hospitalized infants were included in the study, at the lullaby stage and at the non-lullaby stage. Their physiological parameters including respiratory rate, heart rate and oxygen saturation level were recorded. Mothers’ lullabies were played for those at the lullaby stage. No intervention was performed in the non-lullaby stage and only infants’ variables were recorded. Infants were assessed for four successive days, two days for every stage. Data collection was recorded every 2min. Data was statistically analysed after gathering and entering into the SPSS.22 by means of Friedman’s and paired sample t-test.
RESULTS: : In this study of 40 case studies, 45% were female and 55% were male, with an average gestational age of new-borns at 32.43 weeks and mean birth weight at 2189.36gr. In the intervention group, during the time that the lullaby was played, mean rates of heart beat was significantly decreased (P=0.03) and SaO2 was increased (P=0.039), which were significantly different from their basic recorded levels at the beginning and those of the control group, but there was no significant difference between two groups in mean of respiratory rates (P=0.070).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Since a mother’s lullaby has significant effects on physiological parameters, we hope that nurses will tell mothers to use the lullaby as a supportive developmental care for infants to assist improving the physiological state of preterm new-borns.