title: Effects of standardized acoustic stimulation in premature infants: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of recorded lullabies and taped maternal voice in premature infants.
  
  
  
  Sixty-two preterm infants in a stable condition with 30<37 weeks of gestation and <10 days of postnatal age were randomly assigned to hear (A) recorded lullabies or (B) taped maternal voice for 30 min each evening during 14 consecutive days or (C) receive no standardized acoustic stimulation (control group). Heart rate and respiratory rate were recorded daily before, during and after the intervention (A and B) or a comparable period with no intervention (C), whereas activity was measured on days 1, 7 and 14 of the intervention using accelerometers.
  
  
  
  Both interventions led to a significant decrease in heart rate and respiratory rate during and after the stimulation when compared with the control group. The changes were more pronounced in infants with higher gestational ages (P=0.001). Lower activity was measured during the intervention when compared with the control group (P<0.01).
  
  
  
  Standardized acoustic stimulation with recorded lullabies and taped maternal voice led to a decrease in heart rate and respiratory rate, and was associated with lower activity. Whether this indicates a reduced stress reaction needs to be investigated in further studies.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wirth
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dorn
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wege
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zemlin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lemmer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gorbey
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Timmesfeld
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Maier
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D056152:Respiratory Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome