The effect of music therapy on the cardiac activity parameters of a fetus in a cardiotocographic examination.
OBJECTIVE
The assessment of cardiac parameters of the fetus in cardiotocographic record of pregnant women listening to classical music.


METHODS
Sixty NST records with no musical stimulation and 30 NST records during a 15-min auditive stimulation with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Turkish March" as well as 30 NST records during Johann Strauss's "Tritsch-Tratsch Polka" were performed for the study. The average stage of the responders' pregnancy was the 36rd week, the lowest - the 27th week, the highest - 41st.


RESULTS
Following the listening to W.A. Mozart's composition, a significant increase was observed in values concerning: the number of fetal movements (p < 0.0001), accelerations >10 (p = 0.0063), accelerations >15 (p = 0.0011), high variability (p = 0.0019) and short-term variability (p < 0.0001). Meanwhile, parameters concerning baseline cardiac activity (p = 0.0003) and low variability (p = 0.0021) significantly decreased. The number of uterine contractions decreased insignificantly (p = 0.3718). Following listening to J. Strauss's composition, the following parameters underwent increase: fetal movements (p = 0.0021) and short-term variability (p = 0.0025). The remaining parameters of the cardiotocographic record: accelerations, uterine contractions - underwent an improvement, but the changes were not significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Music therapy is a noninvasive and uncostly method, significantly improving wellbeing-indicative fetal parameters.
a Faculty of Health Sciences , Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz , Poland , Bydgoszcz , Poland.
Grażyna
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9743-4267
G
Gebuza
a Faculty of Health Sciences , Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz , Poland , Bydgoszcz , Poland.
Agnieszka
A
Dombrowska
a Faculty of Health Sciences , Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz , Poland , Bydgoszcz , Poland.
Marzena
M
Kaźmierczak
a Faculty of Health Sciences , Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz , Poland , Bydgoszcz , Poland.
Małgorzata
M
Gierszewska
a Faculty of Health Sciences , Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz , Poland , Bydgoszcz , Poland.
Estera
E
Mieczkowska
D000328:Adult; D015148:Cardiotocography; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009147:Music Therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D055815:Young Adult
Music therapy; cardiotocography; fetal heart rate; nonstress test; pregnancy; short-term variability