Tiny preemies get a boost from live music therapy

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20130516/DA6A9BHG0.html

May 16, 4:16 AM (ET)

By LINDSEY TANNER

(AP) Music therapist Elizabeth Klinger, right, quietly plays guitar and sings for Augustin as he grips...
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CHICAGO (AP) - As the guitarist strums and softly sings a lullaby in Spanish, tiny Augustin Morales stops squirming in his hospital crib and closes his eyes.

This is therapy in a newborn intensive care unit, and research suggests that music may help those born way too soon adapt to life outside the womb.

Some tiny preemies are too small and fragile to be held and comforted by human touch, and many are often fussy and show other signs of stress. Other common complications include immature lungs, eye disease, problems with sucking, and sleeping and alertness difficulties.

Recent studies and anecdotal reports suggest the vibrations and soothing rhythms of music, especially performed live in the hospital, might benefit preemies and other sick babies.

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Music therapists say live performances in hospitals are better than recorded music because patients can feel the music vibrations and also benefit from seeing the musicians.

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