Mozart's Lullabies Soothe Newborns Undergoing Medical Procedures, Study Finds

The soothing effect of Mozart's lullabies on newborns facing medical procedures is highlighted in a recent study, titled "Music for Pain Relief of Minor Procedures in Term Neonates," which is published in the journal Pediatric Research.

The randomized trial discovered that playing calming background music can alleviate pain during minor medical procedures for infants. The study indicates that a Mozart lullaby reduces pain in newborns during heel prick blood tests.

First-of-Its-Kind Trial Shows Mozart's Lullabies as Effective Painkiller in Babies

Researchers led by Saminathan Anbalagan conducted a study to assess pain levels in newborn infants undergoing heel prick blood tests, a standard procedure for screening conditions like jaundice and phenylketonuria (PKU).

The study took place in New York City from April 2019 to February 2020, involving infants who were around two days old, born at 39 gestational weeks, with 53% males and 61% of Hispanic ethnicity. All infants received 0.5 milliliters of sugar solution two minutes before the heel prick.

Of the 100 infants, 54 listened to a Mozart lullaby for 20 minutes before, during, and after the heel prick, while the rest did not listen to any music. Pain levels were assessed based on facial expressions, crying, limb movements, breathing patterns, and alertness.

The groups had similar pain scores before the procedure, but infants who listened to the lullaby had significantly lower pain scores during and immediately after the prick.

During the heel prick, infants who listened to the lullaby had pain scores of four, dropping to zero at one and two minutes post-procedure. In contrast, those who were not exposed to music scored seven, 5.5, and two respectively.

The study suggests that recorded music could serve as effective pain relief for minor procedures in newborns. Further research is recommended to explore the pain-reducing potential of parental voices and the impact of caregivers' physical comfort along with music.

Music Reduces Pain Perception

Currently, substantial evidence have shown that music can notably decrease pain sensation in adults. However, the mechanisms behind this phenomenon and whether it's an inherent or acquired response remain uncertain. Examining newborns presents an avenue for deeper exploration, particularly due to the limitations on pain medication usage in this demographic.

In 2017, researchers discovered that combining oral sucrose with music therapy provided greater pain relief during heel prick tests for premature newborns.

However, studying premature infants poses challenges due to their frequent pain exposure in intensive care units, potentially affecting their pain perception and response. The recent trial conducted in the Bronx uniquely focused on full-term babies.

The findings indicate that certain calming music has a remarkably soothing effect on even the youngest brains. Although distraction might play a role, lively and enjoyable music has been shown to alleviate pain more effectively than sad music among adults, suggesting that mere distraction isn't the sole explanation.

The possibility lies in the music's tempo, harmony, or melody triggering pain relief responses in the human brain, even for those with minimal music exposure.

The study did not investigate varying music types and their pain-relieving impacts, an avenue for future research. The researchers involved are intrigued by the potential of exploring whether parental voices can offer the same soothing effect as Mozart's music to newborns.

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