Retinopathy of Prematurity Screening Exams, Adverse Events, and Music Therapy: A Case Series

Preterm (PT) infants are routinely screened for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). After ROP screening exams, PT infants are at risk for adverse events (AEs), including apnea and bradycardia (ABD), respiratory decompensation, infection, and gastrointestinal complications. Music therapy (MT) has been shown to improve overall physiologic stability in PT infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In this case series, a board-certified music therapist used a music therapy protocol during 47 ROP screening exams. The study’s purpose was to explore the potential effects of NICU MT on AEs linked to ROP screening. No infant had any respiratory decompensation, new infection, or other complications. The rate of ABD after screening exams was low. MT during ROP screening appears safe and feasible. We hypothesize that MT might prevent ABD associated with ROP screening, a theory that could be effectively studied in a randomized controlled trial.