NICU Therapies

Your baby may benefit from additional services offered in our NICU, including physical therapy and music therapy.

Physical Therapy

Your baby may receive a Physical Therapy (PT) / Occupational Therapy (OT) consult within five days of admission based on medical stability and diagnosis. Common reasons why a PT or OT provide therapy include prematurity, neurological involvement, respiratory concerns, cardiac disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, neural tube defect, cleft palate, or orthopedic/skeletal disorders.

A Physical Therapist and/or Occupational Therapist will work with your baby to assess motor skills, muscle tone, reflexes and state regulation. They will provide therapy to ensure continued development of motor and sensory skills. They will also teach you about infant development, positioning, tummy time, helping with coping skills and reading your baby’s stress cues. We encourage parents to observe and take part in treatment sessions.

Your baby will receive an Occupational Therapy consult if your baby has difficulty eating. The Occupational Therapist evaluates your baby’s feeding and makes recommendations for specific nipples/bottles and feeding techniques that might be helpful in feeding your baby.

For more information, consult your neonatologist.

Music Therapy

Music therapy is provided by a board certified music therapist and uses evidenced-based music interventions to address a variety of goals for infants and their families admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Music therapy sessions are provided at the bedside and may include live music, lullaby writing, recording parent voices, relaxation or multi-modal stimulation with singing.

Music therapy supports developmental and family-centered care models by providing infants and families with unique way of connecting with their infant through music during intensive hospitalization. Music therapy research with premature infants has shown to have a positive impact on physiologic measures, sleep patterns, parent bonding, neurodevelopment and length of hospital stay.

For more information about music therapy, visit the American Music Therapy Association.