No impact of parental singing during the neonatal period on cognition in preterm-born children at 2–3 years

Aim: Studies examining the long-term effects of neonatal music interventions on the cognition of children born preterm are scarce. We investigated whether a parental singing intervention before term age improves cognitive and language skills in preterm-born children. Methods: In this longitudinal, two-country Singing Kangaroo, randomised controlled trial, 74 preterm infants were allocated to a singing intervention or control group. A certified music therapist supported parents of 48 infants in the intervention group to sing or hum during daily skin-to-skin care (Kangaroo care) from neonatal care until term age. Parents of 26 infants in the control group conducted standard Kangaroo care. At 2–3 years of corrected age, the cognitive and language skills were assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition. Results: There were no significant differences in cognitive and language skills between the intervention and control groups at the follow-up. No associations between the amount of singing and the cognitive and language scores were found. Conclusion: Parental singing intervention during the neonatal period, previously shown to have some beneficial short-term effects on auditory cortical response in preterm infants at term age, showed no significant long-term effects on cognition or language at 2–3 years of corrected age.