PREMATURE BIRTHS
Singing soothes baby – and mother
The hormone oxytocin makes mothers less anxious during medical procedures on premature babies. And it’s probably good for fathers too.
When parents are involved in the medical treatment of their babies, it’s better for everyone. | Image: unsplash
Children born prematurely have to endure many painful procedures, e.g., a heel prick to collect blood for testing. Previous studies have shown that new-borns react positively if their mother speaks or sings to them during the procedure. Now it has been shown that mothers also benefit from this simple intervention. Twenty study participants felt less anxious afterwards if they had talked or sung to their baby during the heel prick.
The probable mechanism behind this is an increase in the hormone oxytocin, which promotes maternal behaviour and the bonding process between mother and the child. The study’s lead author Manuela Filippa, a psychologist at the University of Geneva, suspects that fathers would experience a similar effect, though there is still a lack of research about it. “Early parental interventions are not only important in the short term, but could also ensure good family cohesion in the longer term”, she says.
