Implementing Live Music Therapy in a Level III NICU in Italy in Synergy with an Existing Positive Touch and Babywearing Program

Anna Buonomo; Maria Minichino; Barbara Sgobbi; Isabella Blanchi; Marcello Napolitano

doi:10.15845/voices.v26i2.4475

作者

Anna Buonomo Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department Woman and Child, Evangelical Hospital Betania, Napoli, Italy and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, AUSL Romagna Infermi Hospital, Rimini, Italy
Maria Minichino Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department Woman and Child, Evangelical Hospital Betania, Napoli, Italy
Barbara Sgobbi Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department Woman and Child, Del Ponte Hospital, Varese, Italy
Isabella Blanchi Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, IRCCS Giannina Gaslini Institute, Genova, Italy
Marcello Napolitano Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department Woman and Child, Evangelical Hospital Betania, Napoli, Italy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15845/voices.v26i2.4475

关键词:

NICU, music therapy, positive touch, babywearing, parent training, family-centred care, preterm infants

摘要

A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is often a stressful environment for infants, potentially impeding developmental progress. Each interaction between a premature infant and their caregiver holds the potential to influence the infant’s neuro-emotional developmental trajectory. Premature birth can interrupt the natural bonding process, leading to increased parental stress levels. A parent’s ability to appropriately respond to their baby’s behavior is fundamental to the development of attachment and early relational connection. This article details the establishment and implementation of a live music therapy (LMT) program within a level III NICU in Italy. Situated within the Italian healthcare tradition of “humanization of care,” this program reflects a culturally responsive, family-centered approach. It operates in collaboration with other nonpharmacological interventions, including positive touch (PT), kangaroo care (KC) and babywearing (BW). These flexible interventions were delivered individually or in combination, tailored to meet the specific needs of each family, from the earliest days of NICU admission. This approach aims to provide age-appropriate and evidence-based sensory experiences across tactile, auditory, visual, and kinesthetic domains. The program was led by a certified NICU music therapist and a pediatric nurse babywearing consultant, both trained as infant massage instructors through the International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM) and as positive touch specialists for preterm infants. This paper provides a reflective account of the program’s establishment, focusing on its integration into clinical practice rather than formal research findings.

Declarations

Competing Interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Funding
The music therapy program described in this article was supported by the Pulcini Combattenti ONLUS Parents’ Association (a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting families in the NICU).

Author Biographies

Anna Buonomo, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department Woman and Child, Evangelical Hospital Betania, Napoli, Italy and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, AUSL Romagna Infermi Hospital, Rimini, Italy

Anna Buonomo is a NICU music therapist at Infermi Hospital in Rimini (Italy), previously practicing at Evangelical Hospital Betania in Napoli. She is also a supervisor, lecturer, and IAIM infant massage expert specializing in early interventions to support the parent-infant bond and trauma-informed care for perinatal loss.

Maria Minichino, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department Woman and Child, Evangelical Hospital Betania, Napoli, Italy

Maria Minichino is a pediatric nurse at Evangelical Hospital Betania, with 24 years of NICU experience, specializing in family-centered developmental care. For over 16 years, she has developed and coordinated projects in the NICU on Positive Touch, Kangaroo Care, and Babywearing, working as a certified infant massage and babywearing instructor to promote bonding and empower families through evidence-based practices.

Barbara Sgobbi, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department Woman and Child, Del Ponte Hospital, Varese, Italy

Barbara Sgobbi is a certified Master of Music, Music Therapist, RMT and PhD Candidate in Music Therapy Neuroscience at Alessandria-Conservatory. She specializes in Obstetrics, NICU-PICU music therapy settings, integrating clinical-practice, research, and teaching. She lectures at Italian Universities, publishes in peer-reviewed journals, and works in NICU-PICU at Filippo-Del Ponte Varese-Hospital-Italy.

Isabella Blanchi, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, IRCCS Giannina Gaslini Institute, Genova, Italy

Isabella Blanchi is a pediatric and neonatal physiotherapist at the Gaslini Institute NICU in Genova (since 1978). She is Brazelton-trained, a NIDCAP professional, and an IAIM instructor specializing in “Preterm baby: From positive touch to massage.” She is also a GdS Care trainer for the Italian Society of Neonatology.

Marcello Napolitano, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department Woman and Child, Evangelical Hospital Betania, Napoli, Italy

Marcello Napolitano is an accomplished neonatologist serving as Head of the MaternalChild Department and NICU Director at Evangelical Hospital Betania. Certified by the Italian Society of Neonatology (SIN) as a resuscitation instructor, he has co-authored 80 publications and participated in major European multicenter studies.

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