This campaign has now closed

Jessie’s Fund is piloting a programme of music therapy for babies and their parents/carers on the neonatal wards at UCLH. Music therapy will support the psychological and physiological development of these infants and provide parents/carers with support to develop the parent-child bond.

100%
Categories

  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Hospitals/Hospices Hospitals/​Hospices
  • Beneficiaries

    • Infants (<2) Infants (<2)
    • Other Other

    Situation

    Developmental delay in babies on neonatal wards: Babies on neonatal wards are fragile, yet medical interventions and the hospital environment itself create stressors for babies and parents, often leading to developmental delay. For example, the parent bonding process, which underpins an infant's social, emotional and cognitive development, can be inhibited by anxiety. And where it is difficult to interpret and respond to an infant's cues, the likelihood of developmental delay is raised further.

    Solution

    Live music is created by the music therapist to interpret and reflect infant gestures, demonstrating to the infant that they are being seen and providing them with a sense of self and their relationship to others. At the same time, parents are given support to bond with their infant, moving the focus away from medical needs and reducing both parent and infant anxiety. In this way, opportunities arise for responsiveness and emotional expression both of which are vital in early brain development.

    • “”
      -
    • “”
      -
    • “”
      -
    • “”
      -
    100%
    Categories

  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Hospitals/Hospices Hospitals/​Hospices
  • Beneficiaries

    • Infants (<2) Infants (<2)
    • Other Other