Music Therapy For Infants With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome In The NICU: A Qualitative Content Analysis

This study sought to describe how music therapists provide care for patients with neonatal abstinence syndrome and their caregivers. A small group of music therapists who worked with infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) were contacted via email and asked if they would consent to be interviewed. The four music therapists who responded first were interviewed. Each informant shared their experience through a semi-structured interview format that the researcher recorded and transcribed. The researcher extracted and analyzed 14 themes from the interviews, leading to a summary of results describing how music therapists to provide care for patients with NAS and their caregivers. Results of the study showed that the primary challenges faced by music therapists working with infants with NAS and their caregivers is lack of research and education with this population, as well as inconsistency among the medical community regarding treatment plans for the infants. Music therapists provide care for patients diagnosed with NAS and their caregivers by observing, assessing, and responding flexibly to their needs in the moment. They provide a variety of interventions based on the needs of the infant and caregiver which, anecdotally, results in infants who sleep, eat, and soothe better, as well as caregivers who feel respected, encouraged, and empowered to care for their infant.