Music therapy for hospitalized infants and their parents

Infants and parents who experience risk may be faced with traumatic challenges. This is especially true for premature babies where the necessity for medical interventions often requires that they be separated from their parents. In these circumstances, parents are at high risk for developing depression. The inability to bond can result from this physical separation impeding the natural course of development for both baby and parent. This may, in turn, interfere with the beginning stages of healthy emotional growth. This chapter discusses music medicine and music psychotherapy approaches that provide unique opportunities for infants and children, especially as they are treated within a familycentred care context.