title: Live maternal speech and singing have beneficial effects on hospitalized preterm infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effects of live maternal speaking and singing on physiological parameters of preterm infants in the NICU and to test the hypothesis that vocal stimulation can have differential effects on preterm infants at a behavioural level.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen mothers spoke and sang to their medically stable preterm infants in their incubators over 6 days, between 1 and 2 pm. Heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (OxSat), number of critical events (hypoxemia, bradycardia and apnoea) and change in behavioural state were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparisons of periods with and without maternal vocal stimulation revealed significantly greater oxygen saturation level and heart rate and significantly fewer negative critical events (p < 0.0001) when the mother was speaking and singing. Unexpected findings were the comparable effects of maternal talk and singing on infant physiological parameters and the differential ones on infant behavioural state.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A renewed connection to the mother's voice can be an important and significant experience for preterm infants. Exposure to maternal speech and singing shows significant early beneficial effects on physiological state, such as oxygen saturation levels, number of critical events and prevalence of calm alert state. These findings have implications for NICU interventions, encouraging maternal interaction with their medically stable preterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, Nanterre Cedex, France. manuela.filippa@gmail.com
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filippa
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Devouche
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arioni
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imberty
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gratier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001049:Apnea / Q000517:prevention & control; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001919:Bradycardia / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000517:prevention & control; D018730:Infant Behavior; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D063346:Singing; D013060:Speech; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014741:Video Recording
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Critical events; Infant-directed speech and singing; Maternal live voice; NICU; Premature infant; Sound environment