Maternal singing and speech have beneficial effects on preterm infant’s general movements at term equivalent age and at 3 months: an RCT
BackgroundGeneral Movements (GMs) are part of the spontaneous movement repertoire and assessing them helps to determine the integrity of the central nervous system in newborns. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of maternal singing and speaking in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1536646/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832582645986361344 |
|---|---|
| author | Manuela Filippa Gianluca Filippa Elisa Della Casa Alberto Berardi Odoardo Picciolini Sara Chiara Meloni Clara Lunardi Alessandra Cecchi Alessandra Sansavini Luigi Corvaglia Luigi Corvaglia Didier Grandjean EVC Group Fabrizio Ferrari |
| author_facet | Manuela Filippa Gianluca Filippa Elisa Della Casa Alberto Berardi Odoardo Picciolini Sara Chiara Meloni Clara Lunardi Alessandra Cecchi Alessandra Sansavini Luigi Corvaglia Luigi Corvaglia Didier Grandjean EVC Group Fabrizio Ferrari |
| author_sort | Manuela Filippa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundGeneral Movements (GMs) are part of the spontaneous movement repertoire and assessing them helps to determine the integrity of the central nervous system in newborns. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of maternal singing and speaking in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on preterm infants’ GMs at term equivalent age and at 3 months.MethodsIn this multi-center randomized clinical trial, 56 stable preterm infants (25–32 weeks) were randomized to either an intervention group – in which mothers were asked to speak and sing to their infants for 20 min, 3 times per week, for 2 weeks – or to a control group. GMs were recorded both before and after the intervention – which took place at term equivalent age – and again at 3 months corrected age. The GMs were blindly coded based on the muted video tracks to produce both a general score and a detailed score.ResultsBefore the intervention, there were no significant differences between the two groups. The intervention wielded a significant effect on the GMs general score (p < 0.05). The effect was also marginally significant for the GMs detailed score (p = 0.06). To avoid influencing outcomes, future research should control for differences in maternal engagement outside of the intervention.ConclusionLive maternal singing and speaking are fundamental human practices that, in this study, enhanced preterm infants’ general movements and potentially supported their neurobehavioral development. Integrating and supporting early vocal interaction into routine NICU care is crucial for at-risk populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7c4a559103ba451fb818fe4b0ab9f053 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-7c4a559103ba451fb818fe4b0ab9f0532025-01-29T13:09:36ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-01-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15366461536646Maternal singing and speech have beneficial effects on preterm infant’s general movements at term equivalent age and at 3 months: an RCTManuela Filippa0Gianluca Filippa1Elisa Della Casa2Alberto Berardi3Odoardo Picciolini4Sara Chiara Meloni5Clara Lunardi6Alessandra Cecchi7Alessandra Sansavini8Luigi Corvaglia9Luigi Corvaglia10Didier Grandjean11EVC GroupFabrizio Ferrari12Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, SwitzerlandIndependent Researcher, Aosta, ItalyNeonatal Intensive Care Unit, Women’s and Children’s Health Department, University Hospital of Modena, Modena, ItalyDepartment of Medical and Surgical Sciences of Mother, Children and Adults, University Hospital of Modena, Modena, ItalyPediatric Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, ItalyPediatric Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, Careggi University Hospital of Florence, Florence, ItalyDivision of Neonatology, Careggi University Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, ItalyDepartment of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyNeonatal Intensive Care Unit, IRCCS AOU Bologna, Bologna, Italy0Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, SwitzerlandDepartment of Medical and Surgical Sciences of Mother, Children and Adults, University Hospital of Modena, Modena, ItalyBackgroundGeneral Movements (GMs) are part of the spontaneous movement repertoire and assessing them helps to determine the integrity of the central nervous system in newborns. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of maternal singing and speaking in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on preterm infants’ GMs at term equivalent age and at 3 months.MethodsIn this multi-center randomized clinical trial, 56 stable preterm infants (25–32 weeks) were randomized to either an intervention group – in which mothers were asked to speak and sing to their infants for 20 min, 3 times per week, for 2 weeks – or to a control group. GMs were recorded both before and after the intervention – which took place at term equivalent age – and again at 3 months corrected age. The GMs were blindly coded based on the muted video tracks to produce both a general score and a detailed score.ResultsBefore the intervention, there were no significant differences between the two groups. The intervention wielded a significant effect on the GMs general score (p < 0.05). The effect was also marginally significant for the GMs detailed score (p = 0.06). To avoid influencing outcomes, future research should control for differences in maternal engagement outside of the intervention.ConclusionLive maternal singing and speaking are fundamental human practices that, in this study, enhanced preterm infants’ general movements and potentially supported their neurobehavioral development. Integrating and supporting early vocal interaction into routine NICU care is crucial for at-risk populations.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1536646/fullprematuritymaternal voicegeneral movementsearly interventionsensorimotor system |
| spellingShingle | Manuela Filippa Gianluca Filippa Elisa Della Casa Alberto Berardi Odoardo Picciolini Sara Chiara Meloni Clara Lunardi Alessandra Cecchi Alessandra Sansavini Luigi Corvaglia Luigi Corvaglia Didier Grandjean EVC Group Fabrizio Ferrari Maternal singing and speech have beneficial effects on preterm infant’s general movements at term equivalent age and at 3 months: an RCT Frontiers in Psychology prematurity maternal voice general movements early intervention sensorimotor system |
| title | Maternal singing and speech have beneficial effects on preterm infant’s general movements at term equivalent age and at 3 months: an RCT |
| title_full | Maternal singing and speech have beneficial effects on preterm infant’s general movements at term equivalent age and at 3 months: an RCT |
| title_fullStr | Maternal singing and speech have beneficial effects on preterm infant’s general movements at term equivalent age and at 3 months: an RCT |
| title_full_unstemmed | Maternal singing and speech have beneficial effects on preterm infant’s general movements at term equivalent age and at 3 months: an RCT |
| title_short | Maternal singing and speech have beneficial effects on preterm infant’s general movements at term equivalent age and at 3 months: an RCT |
| title_sort | maternal singing and speech have beneficial effects on preterm infant s general movements at term equivalent age and at 3 months an rct |
| topic | prematurity maternal voice general movements early intervention sensorimotor system |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1536646/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT manuelafilippa maternalsingingandspeechhavebeneficialeffectsonpreterminfantsgeneralmovementsattermequivalentageandat3monthsanrct AT gianlucafilippa maternalsingingandspeechhavebeneficialeffectsonpreterminfantsgeneralmovementsattermequivalentageandat3monthsanrct AT elisadellacasa maternalsingingandspeechhavebeneficialeffectsonpreterminfantsgeneralmovementsattermequivalentageandat3monthsanrct AT albertoberardi maternalsingingandspeechhavebeneficialeffectsonpreterminfantsgeneralmovementsattermequivalentageandat3monthsanrct AT odoardopicciolini maternalsingingandspeechhavebeneficialeffectsonpreterminfantsgeneralmovementsattermequivalentageandat3monthsanrct AT sarachiarameloni maternalsingingandspeechhavebeneficialeffectsonpreterminfantsgeneralmovementsattermequivalentageandat3monthsanrct AT claralunardi maternalsingingandspeechhavebeneficialeffectsonpreterminfantsgeneralmovementsattermequivalentageandat3monthsanrct AT alessandracecchi maternalsingingandspeechhavebeneficialeffectsonpreterminfantsgeneralmovementsattermequivalentageandat3monthsanrct AT alessandrasansavini maternalsingingandspeechhavebeneficialeffectsonpreterminfantsgeneralmovementsattermequivalentageandat3monthsanrct AT luigicorvaglia maternalsingingandspeechhavebeneficialeffectsonpreterminfantsgeneralmovementsattermequivalentageandat3monthsanrct AT luigicorvaglia maternalsingingandspeechhavebeneficialeffectsonpreterminfantsgeneralmovementsattermequivalentageandat3monthsanrct AT didiergrandjean maternalsingingandspeechhavebeneficialeffectsonpreterminfantsgeneralmovementsattermequivalentageandat3monthsanrct AT evcgroup maternalsingingandspeechhavebeneficialeffectsonpreterminfantsgeneralmovementsattermequivalentageandat3monthsanrct AT fabrizioferrari maternalsingingandspeechhavebeneficialeffectsonpreterminfantsgeneralmovementsattermequivalentageandat3monthsanrct |