Music therapy in pediatric and neonatal intensive care units: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Keywords:
Music Therapy, Children, neonatesAbstract
Background and aim: Music Therapy is a form of therapy that involves the musical sphere to promote the well-being and improvement of patients' vital conditions. Conversely, intensive care units are normally recognized as stressful and threatening environments. Therefore, it can be used to contribute to maintaining the mental health of these patients.
Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis of Music Therapy in pediatric and neonatal intensive care units was performed. The methodology followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, with 12 articles analyzed, and a total of approximately 753 patients. The vital signs assessed were perceived pain intensity, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, respiratory and heart rate. Additionally, a comparison was made between different types of music for each population studied.
Results: It was observed a reduction of respiratory rate and pain sensitivity index in the pediatric ICU by 1.92 bpm (p: 0.004) and 2.09 Wong-Baker FACES units (p: <0.0001). It was shown that the favorite kind of music elected by the children had given better results than the others evaluated .
Conclusions: There is a scarcity of articles that would allow a comprehensive analysis of this theme, specifically studying different types of this therapy with these populations. Additionally, based on the results presented in the study, the results suggest that music therapy may be a promising adjunct intervention in hospital settings, although further studies are required.
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