Maternal Singing but Not Speech Enhances Vagal Activity in Preterm Infants during Hospitalization: Preliminary Results

Children

EVC Group¹  Enzo Pasquale Scilingo²  Mimma Nardelli²  Fabrizio Ferrari³  Alberto Berardi³  Clara Lunardi⁴  Manuela Filippa⁵  Alessandra Sansavini⁶  Alessandra Cecchi⁷  Luigi Corvaglia⁸  Elisa Della Casa⁹  Sara Meloni^1,10  Odoardo Picciolini^1,10 

[1] ;Bioengineering and Robotics Research Centre E. Piaggio, 56122 Pisa, Italy;Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences of Mother, Children and Adults, University Hospital of Modena, 41124 Modena, Italy;Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, Careggi University Hospital of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy;Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, 24 Rue General Dufour, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland;Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40127 Bologna, Italy;Division of Neonatology, Careggi University Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Florence, 50134 Florence, Italy;Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, IRCCS AOU Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy;Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Women’s and Children’s Health Department, University Hospital of Modena, 41124 Modena, Italy;Pediatric Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy;

关键词: early vocal contact;    heart rate variability;    maternal voice;    preterm infants;   

DOI  :  10.3390/children9020140

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Background: Early parental interventions in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) have beneficial effects on preterm infants’ short and long-term outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Early Vocal Contact (EVC)—singing and speaking—on preterm infants’ vagal activity and autonomic nervous system (ANS) maturation. Methods: In this multi-center randomized clinical trial, twenty-four stable preterm infants, born at 25–32 weeks gestational age, were randomized to either the EVC group or control group, where mothers did not interact with the babies but observed their behavior. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) was acquired before intervention (pre-condition), during vocal contact, and after it (post condition). Results: No significant effect of the vocal contact, singing and speaking, was found in HRV when the intervention group was compared to the control group. However, a significant difference between the singing and the pre and post conditions, respectively, preceding and following the singing intervention, was found in the Low and High Frequency power nu, and in the low/high frequency features (p = 0.037). By contrast, no significant effect of the speaking was found. Conclusions: Maternal singing, but not speaking, enhances preterm infants’ vagal activity in the short-term, thus improving the ANS stability. Future analyses will investigate the effect of enhanced vagal activity on short and long-term developmental outcomes of preterm infants in the NICU.

【 授权许可】

Unknown