music to soothe them

Every Friday, in Puy-en-Velay (Haute-Loire), a crystalline sound resonates in the corridors of a maternity ward. It comes from the kalimba, an instrument that dances between the fingers of a volunteer music therapist. It helps parents of premature babies to build a bond with these fragile little beings. Maël was born a little before seven months. The therapist immerses him in a sound bath. Vibrations as reassuring as those heard in your mother’s womb. High-pitched sounds are banned, and slow rhythms are favored so as not to offend his immature ears.

Singing, a treatment in its own right at the Dijon University Hospital

According to several studies, music stimulates the brains of premature babies. At the Dijon University Hospital (Côte-d’Or), singing is a treatment in its own right. Even nurses are trained to support parents. Here, the music therapist is part of the medical team. She helps the mother to tune her voice to the gestures of her little boy. This musical ritual was instituted by Solène Pichon, childcare nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit of Dijon University Hospital. She wants to generalize it to all premature babies.