The purpose of this paper is to discuss noise mitigation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the contrary use of music therapy to promote maturation of preterm infants. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) combines progressive technology and highly trained health care specialists to work together to create rigorous care plans in regards to the maturation of even the sickest neonates. This includes the implementation of music therapy in regards to noise mitigation. Initially, music therapy research has been ongoing for more than 20 years. During the initiation of development, medical professionals were apprehensive due to lack of research for validation. The use of music therapy not only aids in the decrease of stress in premature …show more content…
Reviews show that music therapy for premature infants has the potential to improve feeding behaviors and sucking patterns as noise can significantly impact the maturation of the premature neonate. “Recorded music, parent voices, and sung lullabies have been shown to increase oxygen saturation, nonnutritive sucking, and weight gain in premature infants” (Loewy, Stewart, Dassler, Telsey, Homel, 2013). However, there is a caution against potential danger of over stimulating the …show more content…
Barriers to change in practice includes whether noise in the Neonatal Intensive Unit (NICU) can be lowered to a goal level because of high traffic, staffing changes, equipment changes, unpredictable noise, alarms, phones, ventilators and certain staff or family resilient to the change (Wachman & Lahav, 2011). The impact of the clinical problem shows to be of low cost in the delivery of care, along with effective and efficient because of the small changes that can be implemented. Numerous interventions are simple tasks that cost nothing but a change in practice such as doing report away from the crib, being mindful when closing doors, changing metal to plastic, creating signs to hang up etc. etc. Further exploration of this topic should be ongoing as there may be things that can be changes or implemented in regards to the safety of the neonate. All Quality and Safety Education for Nurses competencies are important when it comes to the development of a premature infant. With noise mitigation patient – centered care is especially importance because this population is so invasive and unable to communicate. Health care professionals are their advocates for a positive maturation
Music Therapy is used for many reasons and can be helpful in many ways. Music has been proven to be a therapeutic service to people because it’s helped people to contain themselves and even express themselves through the music that they listen to. This treatment is beneficial to many humans because it’s a good way to help one’s emotions without any medication (American Music Therapy Association). For example, music is used to treat pain and reduce stress. In Amy Novotney’s article about music therapy, she says, “The beep of ventilators and infusion pumps, the hiss of oxygen, the whir of carts and the murmur of voices as physicians and nurses make rounds — these are the typical noises a premature infant hears spending the first days of life in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). While the sounds of such life-saving equipment are tough to mute, a new study suggests that some sounds, such as lullabies, may soothe pre-term babies and their parents, and even improve the infants' sleeping and eating patterns, while decreasing parents' stress (Pediatrics, 2013)” (Novotney). Another example of how music is a reliable therapeutic resource is for people with autism. In Catherine Ulbricht’s article, she states that “People who have autism spectrum disorders often show a heightened interest and response to music. This may
The first source is a non-experimental design that took place in both an open ward and SFR NICU at Cabell Huntington Hospital. Two hundred and forty infants were monitored in this study. One hundred and thirty-three infants were observed in an open ward, and one hundred and seven were kept in single family rooms (SFRs). This study quantitatively measured the noise level, illumination, air quality, temperature, growth and development of the infant, the amount of respiratory support needed, and the baby’s nutritional progress in each environment. The findings of this study show that humidity particulates, noise, and exposure to bright light were decreased in the SFRs. In the SFRs there are also reduced ventilator needs, a reduction in days that infants were on total parenteral nutrition
The NICU is often cluttered with loud, unpredictable noises from a variety of sources; such as cardiorespiratory alarms, ventilators, phones, opening and closing of portholes on incubators, and staff conversation. Simple caregiver tasks such as running water, opening packages inside an incubator, disposing of trash in a metal container, and placing formula bottles on a bedside table, all can produce sounds well over recommended levels, some as loud as 75.3 decibels (Johnson, 2003). However, an optimal physical, psychological, and social environment is a necessity for the preterm
Hi Melissa, as you mentioned the NICU population is one of the most susceptible populations for infections and preventing them will save lives. I agree with you about the use of the Lippitt change theory on the NICU, I believe the most important step from this model is assessing motivation among staff. The biggest strength is the recognition of the need for change, and then follow recommendation from evidence based practice research. I like the idea of change the age for visitors and proper hand wash for all visitors. Educate staff about the benefits of remove jackets during patient care, and implementing the use of gowns. I like your idea of secret observers and that warnings will be issue for the non-compliant and the rejecters of the new
Some of these interventions are as simple as waiting a few more seconds before clamping the cord at delivery and/or milking the umbilical cord, to more advanced interventions such as mechanical ventilation. With any medical intervention, there are side effects and long-term disabilities that may occur in relation to the intervention itself. In the high-intensity NICU, it comes down to weighing the positives and negatives, and choosing the option that will give the neonate the greatest outcome and the best fighting chance of survival. More research needs to be done to determine the long term effects of some of the interventions mentioned in this paper, and how the formerly preterm neonates are living with a disability they may have acquired as a result of those interventions. All medical professionals can hope for is that when a patient comes through the door, they receive the best and most up-to-date care possible, while also remaining free of long term negative effects. As with any population, premature infants - especially those born before 28 weeks of gestation, require strong-willed support from the staff, as well as from their families. It is not easy to care for such fragile human beings, but in the end, when the interventions work, and those neonates are healthy enough to move on with their lives and go home, it all becomes worth
The human life span is from conception to death and can be divided into eight different developmental periods. This essay will focus on the early childhood period that ranges from two to five or six years of age. Firstly, this essay will describe the typical developmental milestones during early childhood and how they play an important role in each developmental stage that follows. Secondly, it will analyse how the home and educational environments influence early childhood. Finally, it will define Auditory Processing Disorder and the characteristics of a child with this condition. This essay will demonstrate the significant impact Auditory Processing Disorder can have significant effects on development and in the future.
This study is a clinical trial that aims to find out the effect of massage on behavioral state of neonates with respiratory distress syndrome. The participants were 45 neonates who hospitalized in neonatal intensive care unit of Afzalipour hospital in Kerman. Parental consent was obtained for research participation. The inclusion criteria included all infants born with respiratory distress syndrome, less than 36 weeks gestational age and without of any the following conditions: contraindication of touch, skin problems, hyperbilirubinemia, anemia, respirators, chest tube, addicted mother, congenital and central nervous system disease. Infants entered the massage protocol during the second day after starting enteral feeding, because the
By exploring sources that address the topic of premature infants and music therapy, the author of this paper discusses about the effect of music on specific common issue that the NICU can cause to premature infants. The effect of music therapy on stabilizing premature infants’ breathing and heart rate is addressed. The author also points out that music can be a stimulus for premature infants to learning life-matter skill such as the sucking behavior.
The introductory unit to occupational therapy services in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) was highly informative and interesting along with being complex. A majority of the content from the Jane Case-Smith and Jane Clifford O’Brien chapter and the Dr. Pamela J. Kling lecture was very new for us and, therefore, was also very exciting. Our knowledge regarding the NICU has now grown after reading and listening to these great resources and we can now understand the specific causes, manifestation, diagnostic procedures and symptoms of a baby in need of spending time in a NICU. Additionally, we can figure out how daily occupations are possibly impacted by experience in a NICU along with the interventions that are commonly utilized by an OT in a NICU.
Premature babies are greatly helped by skin to skin contact even when they are on oxygen since it reduces their need for oxygen and hence keeping them more stable. According to In Macones, through the contact, the baby is able to feel the love of the mother and her expectations, and hence get the courage to improve on his/her health ten times faster in the incubator (2015).
Play, in the NICU setting, was quite different than the general hospital floors, as the patients should not be exposed to substantial amounts of stimuli, noise, or light. The general goal of the NICU is to permit the infants to grow and develop in an appropriate environment. Despite the variances, I incorporated play into my delivery of care in four ways – therapeutic touch, toys, movement, and communication. Therapeutic touch played a major component in the NICU, as these infants still desire the security and comfort that their mother’s womb provided. With healthy infants, tapping or softly rubbing an arm would be appropriate, but these actions could overstimulate infants in the NICU, as their brains still needs time to develop. Rather, therapeutic touch entails firmly placing your hand on the infant’s body, creating a sense of security and closure.
In light of this, music treatment can and regularly is utilized as a part of a wide assortment of utilizations. One basic application for music treatment is in working with mentally unbalanced people since research has found that music can help extremely introverted kids to convey what needs be. Moreover, music treatment has been found to help people with physical handicaps to grow better engine
When we visited other homes and closed spaces, it is likely to be unconditioned and violate some of the above recommendations, so that we will be attentive to each step of the baby.
According to the American Music Therapy Association (A.M.T.A.), music therapy is “the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.” As a generally new and upcoming industry, music therapy is often underestimated. By incorporating different areas of the brain, music can reduce stress, ease
World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that neonatal mortality contributed to 38% of under-5-mortality (1). Therefore reduction in neonatal mortality is an important target of WHO (Millennium Development Goal 4 aimed at reduction under-5-mortality by two thirds by the year 2015). This can be achieved by provision of high quality neonatal care units equipped to offer continuous observation, monitoring and intensive treatment to sick neonates.