The effect of prenatal music therapy on fetal and neonatal status: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the effects of prenatal music therapy on fetal and neonatal status.

Design and setting: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Interventions: Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database were searched for studies investigating the effects of prenatal music therapy. Two independent investigators carried out the literature selection, data analysis, and evidence quality assessment. Eligible studies were qualitatively described and synthesized using meta-analyses.

Main outcome measures: The outcomes included fetal or neonatal status.

Results: After screening the 821 records yielded by the systematic search, we identified nine eligible studies involving 1419 pregnant women. Eight studies were included in the meta-analysis, and three outcomes were synthesized. Compared with no music therapy, prenatal music therapy did not change fetal heart rate (mean difference [95 % CI]: -0.28 [-3.75-3.20] beat/min, P = 0.88, moderate quality), number of fetal movements (mean difference [95 % CI]: 0.50 [-0.79-1.78] time/min, P = 0.45, low quality), or number of accelerations (mean difference [95 % CI]: 0.16 [-0.87-1.19] time/min, P = 0.76, low quality). This result did not change when two studies with a high risk of bias were excluded. Subgroup analysis showed that prenatal music therapy did not change fetal heart rate, number of fetal movements, or number of accelerations in different intervention phases.

Conclusions: Prenatal music therapy might not change fetal and neonatal status. However, more systematic strategies of prenatal music therapy deserve further exploration.

Keywords: Fetal heart rate; Fetal movement; Meta-analysis; Music therapy; Prenatal; Randomized controlled trial.