All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Live music may relax, alleviate pain in pediatric patients, new research from WVU suggests

WVU music therapist Hannah Bush performs for a patient. In a new study, Bush—an assistant professor in the School of Medicine—found that live music performed by a licensed music therapist lowered the heart rates of pediatric patients in critical care. Her study is unique because it focuses on live music intervention for children—rather than adults—on life support. (WVU Photo/Zane Lacko)

MORGANTOWN — Blasting a rock anthem can energize you during a workout. Playing sonatas in the car can calm you while you’re stuck in traffic. But music doesn’t just improve moods in adults. According to new research out of West Virginia University, it can have a profound effect on some of the youngest, sickest hospital patients.

New research by Hannah Bush—a music therapist and assistant professor in the WVU School of Medicine—suggests that live music may reduce pain and anxiety in pediatric critical-care patients.

“This is the first music therapy study to look at the use of live music with pediatric patients on mechanical ventilation,” Bush said. “There’s a lot of research supporting recorded music with adults on life support but not children. So, we decided to look into that.”

Her findings appear in the American Journal of Critical Care.

Thirty-three patients, under 2 years of age, were included in the study. All were sedated and on mechanical ventilation.

Seventeen patients received live music intervention from a board-certified music therapist for 15 minutes. During the intervention, the music therapist sang lullabies, accompanied herself on guitar and invited the patients’ caregivers to sing along.

The other 16 patients heard 15-minute recordings of the same lullabies, performed by the same music therapist. Similarly, caregivers were given the chance to sing, too.

In all cases, the researchers monitored each patient’s heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure before the intervention and at 15-minute intervals for an hour after it.

They found that, on average, babies who heard the live music had an immediate and significant reduction in heart rate. And 60 minutes after the music had stopped, their heart rates were still lower than they had been to start with.

“That’s actually really important for us because it can indicate a relaxation effect,” Bush said. “And it’s important for us because it’s not just during the timeframe in which the live music was being provided. The effect is sustained.”

Recorded music did not yield the same results.

“Nothing was statistically significant with the recorded music,” Bush said. “It wasn’t harmful, but we didn’t see improvement.”

The researchers attribute this disparity to live music’s adaptability.

“I actually reduce my own singing if the caregiver starts to sing along because they are the preferred voice,” Bush said. “I can slow things down. I can speed things up if I see the patient start to wake up a little bit. Live music allows you to make changes in the moment, whereas with recorded music, it is what it is.”

She and her colleagues also discovered that patients who received the live music intervention tended to breathe more slowly and have a lower blood pressure than their counterparts who heard recorded music. These changes, however, were not statistically significant.

In the future, Bush plans to investigate how singing along during a child’s live music intervention affects the mood of the caregiver.

“When I offer for caregivers to participate, most of them will initially decline and be like, ‘Oh, no. I’m not a good singer,’” she said. “But usually, even if they start off sitting on the couch, just listening, they’ll approach that bed space, and they’ll hold the child’s hand. They’ll provide gentle massage. They may sing along. There’s something about the experience that just draws them in.”

Citation

Title: Effect of live versus recorded music on children receiving mechanical ventilation and sedation

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2021646

Link: https://aacnjournals.org/ajcconline/article-abstract/30/5/343/31548/Effect-of-Live-Versus-Recorded-Music-on-Children?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Share this story:

RECENT Stories

WVWC’s Navalgund, Elmer earn All-MEC Lacrosse honors

West Virginia Wesleyan’s Raveena Navalgund received MEC honorable mention while Nyah Elmer was named to the All-Freshman Team as the Mountain East Conference announced its 2025 women’s lacrosse all-conference honorees.

Wesleyan misses out on MEC Softball Tournament as seeds and pairings announced

Wesleyan failed to qualify for the 2025 Mountain East Conference Softball Tournament, as the seeds and first-round matchups were announced for the championship beginning this week in Salem, Virginia.
WVWC Track - Wesleyan Sports

Wesleyan softball ends year with doubleheader loss to Glenville State

West Virginia Wesleyan softball ended its season with a pair of road losses to Glenville State, struggling offensively against standout pitching by Kylie Burdick, who threw two complete games including a shutout.

Wesleyan men and women both draw Fairmont State in opening round of MEC Tennis Tournament

Both the West Virginia Wesleyan men’s and women’s tennis teams will face Fairmont State in the semifinals of the Mountain East Conference Tournament this weekend.
WVWC Tennis

Wesleyan tennis teams sweep West Virginia State

West Virginia Wesleyan’s men’s and women’s tennis teams wrapped up their regular seasons with victories over West Virginia State, winning 4-2 and 4-3 respectively on Sunday.

Baseball Bobcats manage just one run as they get swept by Pioneers in doubleheader

Glenville State swept West Virginia Wesleyan in a doubleheader, winning 2-0 behind Grant Landis’s shutout and 8-1 in the second game, as Wesleyan managed only one run on limited hitting.

Lady Buc netters gain wins over Robert C. Byrd and Liberty

Despite missing two starters, the Buckhannon-Upshur Lady Bucs tennis team finished their regular season with a 2-1 week, earning victories over Robert C. Byrd and Liberty and closing with a 9-8 record.

Tennis Bucs pick up wins against Grafton and Liberty

The Buckhannon-Upshur tennis team ended its regular season with conference wins over Grafton and Liberty after a narrow loss to Robert C. Byrd, finishing 7-10 overall and 4-7 in the Big 10.

Lacrosse Bucs win thriller over Wheeling Park, 10-9, for fourth straight victory

Braylon Oldaker scored four goals and an assist as the Buckhannon-Upshur lacrosse team edged Wheeling Park 10-9, earning their fourth consecutive win and improving their season record to 6-3.

Delmar Light

Delmar Light, a 97-year-old World War II Navy veteran, farmer, businessman, and devoted family man, passed away April 25, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of service, entrepreneurship, and faith.

On the City of Buckhannon Calendar: Week of April 28, 2025

The City of Buckhannon announced a Reger Avenue paving project, arts events including the Vandalia Arts Journal Exhibition and Alice in Wonderland, upcoming council meetings, and street closures for WVWC graduation, while reminding residents of online services and reporting tools.

Buckhannon City Council Agenda: May 1, 2025

The Buckhannon City Council released the agenda for its upcoming May 1, 2025 meeting.