The Impact of Music Therapy on Alleviating Pain in Preterm Neonates during Painful Medical Procedures: A Quasi-Experimental Research Study

Background: Preterm neonates routinely undergo many painful procedures in the neonatal intensive care unit. Due to their nonverbal state, these neonates are unable to express their pain, resulting in underestimation and insufficient pain relief. Neglecting pain may lead to complications affecting neurodevelopment and causing permanent injuries to the brain. Music therapy provides sensory stimulation to preterm neonates, resulting in improved physiological and behavioral responses and reduced pain perception. To assess the impact of music therapy on alleviating pain in preterm neonates during painful medical procedures. The study utilized a quasi-experimental research design with a two-group post-test-only approach. Methods: In the present study, a total of 60 preterm neonates were divided equally into a control group and an experimental group (30 participants per group). The intervention and control groups were matched before the intervention. The experimental group received music therapy during painful procedures, while the control group received routine care during the same procedures. The Neonatal Pain Agitation and Sedation Scale (NPASS Tool) was used to measure pain levels during painful procedures. Results: The intensity of pain in both groups was the same before the intervention. In this study, the mean±SD values of intra-test pain level were 8.63±0.56 and 2.96±0.89 in the control and experimental groups, respectively. Moreover, the mean±SD values of the post-test pain level in the control and experimental groups were 7.53±0.89 and 1.1±0.88, respectively. The obtained t-test value in the intra-test was obtained at 29.57 (P 0.05), thereby stating that music therapy was effective in the reduction of pain levels among preterm neonates during painful procedures. Conclusion: This study has important implications for healthcare professionals who care for infants and should prompt the integration of music therapy into routine care for this vulnerable population.