ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the long-term developmental effects of a NICU music therapy intervention, Multimodal Neurologic Enhancement, provided to preterm infants in the NICU. DESIGN: Prospective randomized controlled study with one control group and one experimental group. SAMPLE: Participants were medically stable preterm infants with a birth age of 31 and 6/7 weeks or less, admitted to a level-III NICU. A total of 84 participants were enrolled, and 48 completed the study. MAIN OUTCOME VARIABLE: Post-discharge developmental scores on the Mullen Scales of Early Learning: AGS Edition. RESULTS: The experimental group performed significantly better than the control group on the Visual Reception and Early Learning Composite scores.