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Music therapy hits the right note with youngsters

Ollie Conopo
BBC News, Northamptonshire
Reporting fromKettering General Hospital
Ollie Conopo/BBC Woman with long brown hair in purple top playing a classical guitar with a young boy in a white T-shirt playing a keyboard. They are in a room with white walls and a large window,. There is medical equipment to the left. There is a pipe gamelan on a stand to the right.Ollie Conopo/BBC
Miranda Bray from Thomas's Fund delivers music therapy sessions

New music therapy sessions are already benefitting young patients are two hospitals, staff have said.

The programme has been implemented in both the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Skylark Ward at Kettering General Hospital (KGH).

It will soon be introduced at the neonatal ward at Northampton General Hospital (NGH), where it is already helping older children.

Sessions are delivered by Miranda Bray from the charity Thomas's Fund, who says music therapy for babies helps "relax them, and get used to external stimulation".

Ollie Conopo/BBC Woman with long brown hair smiling wearing a purple top with green around the neck.Ollie Conopo/BBC
Miranda Bray says some of the music is designed to relax patients and even mimic sounds in the womb

Each session is tailored to meet the need and age of the child involved.

Music therapy delivered to the young children on the neonatal ward features an "ocean disk" instrument.

Miranda Bray says the disk "simulates womb sounds" and is "matched to the infant's breathing rhythm".

This leads to stabilisation of their breathing and heart rate.

Ollie Conopo/BBC A white sign with a black circle which says Local Neonatal Unit, with a baby in a heart in the centre. The word "Welcome" appears in black lettering to the right. There is a notice attached to the sign to the left.Ollie Conopo/BBC
Music therapy is given to the youngest of patients at KGH in their neonatal unit.

Mabel, a 28-day-old baby, has received music therapy whilst on the NICU ward.

Her mum Georgia said: "She's really settled after singing. She just sleeps through it.

"When I had my first child during Covid, there was nothing like this to support them."

Ollie Conopo/BBC Jane Lafferty with brown bob-style hair cut, smiling in a leopard print top. She is in front of a white wall with a picture and digital clock on the wall.Ollie Conopo/BBC
Jane Lafferty, Matron of the neonatal unit at KGH, said there had been "great feedback" from parents

The therapy sessions are funded by the National Lottery.

After initially acting as a pilot site for music therapy in neonatal units, KGH decided to make it a permanent fixture months later.

Jane Lafferty, matron of the neonatal unit at KGH, said: "We received some great feedback from parents," and sessions were "well received" by babies.

Ollie Conopo/BBC Woman with short dark hair in black top with son with short dark hair in white top sitting on a blue chair. They are both smiling. There is a large blue bag on a shelf behind them.Ollie Conopo/BBC
Chinyere Ikey said music therapy "breaks up the day" for her five-year-old son Kairo

Children and young people up to the age of 18 can receive the music sessions at both Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital.

Five-year-old Kairo is on Skylark Ward at KGH and has benefited from music therapy.

His mum Chinyere Ikey said sessions "break up the day" and allowed her son to "do something different."

Ollie Conopo/BBC Woman with blonde hair and glasses smiling wearing a purple top with green around the neck. She also has a brightly-coloured lanyard and a badge saying Claire". She is standing in front of an artwork containing green and red dots.Ollie Conopo/BBC
Claire Green, the play specialist coordinator on the Skylark Ward at KGH, said Kair's confidence has "blossomed" during the sessions

Staff on the Skylark ward say music therapy sessions have a positive impact on patients, like Kairo.

Claire Green is the play specialist coordinator and said the session turned Kairo from being "introverted and not so sure" to his confidence "blossoming" and the sessions becoming "child led".

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