P1.230: Effects of Multimodal Neurologic Enhancement on the Clinical Outcomes of Premature Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)

Background: Infants who received the Multimodal Neurologic Enhancement (MNE), a music therapy intervention, during NICU hospitalization showed improved length of stay, weight gain per day, self-regulation, and parental involvement. A prior program analysis of NICU music therapy including MNE showed that infants receiving music therapy services gained more weight per day and some infants (born < 30 weeks gestation, low birthweight, very low birthweight) exhibited a shorter length of stay. Further investigation to the transfer of research outcomes for the clinical implementation of the MNE intervention are warranted.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of preterm infants (N = 530) hospitalized in a single NICU during one annual year was conducted to examine clinical outcomes of infants who did and did not receive MNE. Infants included in analysis were matched based on sex, gestational age at birth (GAB), birthweight category, number of acute diagnoses, diagnoses of bronchopulmonary disease, and diagnosis of a feeding problem.

Results: A three-way ANOVA was run to examine the effects of sex, GAB, and MNE on length of stay. There was no significant three-way interaction, F(2,98) = .880, p = .418, ηp2 = .018. Infants born < 32 weeks who received MNE exhibited an average shorter length of stay by 18 days (females) and 2 days (males). Three-way ANOVAs were also used to examine the effects of MNE, sex, and birthweight on length of stay as well as weight gain per day. There was no significant three-way interaction for length of stay, F(2,98) - .972, p = .399, ηp2 = .019, or weight gain per day F(2,98) = .158, p = .854, ηp2 = .003. Overall, infants who received MNE born at extremely low birthweight (ELBW) and very low birthweight exhibited shorter average hospital admissions (males: 8 days, females: 3 days). Similarly, ELBW MNE infants showed higher daily weight gain (males: M = 22.84g (experimental), 19.36g (control); females: M = 21.02g (experimental), 18.98g (control)). To examine the effects of GAB and receipt of MNE on PMA at discontinuation of oxygen treatment, a two-way ANOVA was used with no significant interaction found, F(2,69) = .243, p = .785, ηp2 = .007. All MNE infants exhibited an average earlier discontinuation of oxygen treatment by 4 days.

Conclusion: Clinical data demonstrated that infants who received MNE intervention were discharged from the NICU sooner, gained more weight per day, and ended oxygen treatment sooner than their control matches. Similar to past research, the benefits of the MNE intervention were the greatest for infants born extremely preterm or at an extremely low birthweight. These findings warrant future studies of MNE examining dosing effects on clinical outcomes and effects of MNE on oxygen treatment.