Music ’nurtures’ premature babies 音樂有助早產兒發育

◎鄭寺音

Hospitals that play music to premature babies help them grow and thrive, mounting evidence suggests.

越來越多證據顯示，醫院對早產兒播放音樂，能幫助早產兒成長與茁壯。

The benefits are said to be calmer infants and parents as well as faster weight gain and shorter hospital stays.

放音樂的好處據說是會讓嬰兒與家長平靜，也會讓體重增加更快速，縮短待在醫院的時間。

A Canadian team reviewed nine studies and found music reduced pain and encouraged better oral feeding. Music also appeared to have beneficial effects on physiological measures like heart and respiratory rate, Archives of Disease in Childhood reports.

一個加拿大團隊評估9份研究發現，音樂降低痛苦，鼓勵更好的口腔餵食。《小兒疾病文獻》指出，音樂似乎也對生理有好的影響，像是心跳與呼吸頻率。

Increasing numbers of neonatal units are using music on their wards.

越來越多新生兒病房在病房內使用音樂。

Six of the studies the University of Alberta team looked at music played to babies during painful procedures such as circumcisions. One looked at the effect of music on feeding rates and the remaining two looked at the effect of music on physiology and behaviours.

亞伯達大學團隊所評估的研究，有6份是觀察在割包皮等痛苦的手術時，對嬰兒播放的音樂。還有一份研究觀察音樂對餵食率的影響，另兩份觀察音樂對生理與行為的影響。

The study authors, Dr Manoj Kumar and colleagues, said： "There is preliminary evidence to suggest that music may have beneficial effects in terms of physiological parameters, behavioural states and pain reduction during painful medical procedures.

研究作者庫瑪與同僚說：「初步證據顯示，音樂可能在痛苦的醫療手術期間，對生理參數、行為狀態與減低痛苦方面有好的影響。」

新聞辭典

thrive：動詞，茁壯成長。例句：His business thrived in the years before the war.（他的生意在戰前幾年蓬勃成長。）

unit：名詞，病房 。例句：She’s in the burns unit.（她現在待在燒燙傷病房。）

procedure：名詞，手術。例句：It’s a standard surgical procedure.（這是標準外科手術。）