Main description:

This book synthesizes and analyzes research on early vocal contact (EVC) for preterm infants, an early healthcare strategy aimed at reducing the long-term impact of neonatal hospitalization, minimizing negative impacts of premature birth, and promoting positive brain development. Chapters begin by examining research on the maternal voice and its unique and fundamental role in infant development during the fetal and neonatal period. The book discusses the rationale for EVC with preterm infants, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms, and the challenges for infants' development. Subsequent chapters highlight various EVCs that are used in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), including direct talking and singing to preterm infants. In addition, the book also presents and evaluates early family-centered therapies as well as paternal and other caregiver voice interventions.
Topics featured in this book include:

Early vocal contact and the language development of preterm infants.

The maternal voice and its influence on the stability and the sleep of preterm infants.

Parental singing as a form of early interactive contact with the preterm infant.

Recorded or live music interventions in the bioecology of the NICU.

The role of the music therapist to hospitalized infants.

The Calming Cycle Theory and its implementation in preterm infants.

Early Vocal Contact and Preterm Infant Brain Development is an essential reference for researchers, clinicians and related professionals, and graduate students in developmental psychology, pediatrics, neuroscience, obstetrics and nursing.

Contents:

Part I: The Maternal Voice: A Link Between Fetal and Neonatal Period.- Chapter 1. Maternal Voice and Communicative Musicality: Sharing the Meaning of Life From Before Birth.- Chapter 2. Prenatal Experience with the Maternal Voice.- Chapter 3. The Maternal Voice as a Special Signal for Infants.- Chapter 4. Maternal Voice and Communication Development in Full-Term Newborn Infants.- Chapter 5. Brain Mechanisms in Emotional Voice Production and Perception: Insights into Early Vocal Interactions.- Part II: The NICU Acoustic Environment and the Preterm Infant's Auditory System Development.- Chapter 6. Differences between Intrauterine and NICU Environments: Acoustic Properties and Implications on Maternal Voice Perception.- Chapter 7. The Auditory Sensitivity of Preterm Infants toward Atypical Auditory Environment in the NICU.- Part III: The Early Vocal Contact in the NICU.- Part III: The Early Vocal Contact in the NICU.- Chapter 9. The Maternal Voice and its Influence on Stress and Sleep of the Preterm Infant.- Chapter 10. Supporting Language and Communication Development as Rationale for Early Maternal Vocal Contact with Preterm Infants.- Chapter 11. Recorded Maternal Voice, Recorded Music or Live Intervention in the NICU: A Bioecological Perspective.- Part V: Family-Centered Music Therapy Experiences in the NICU.- Chapter 12. Empowering Parents in Singing to Hospitalized Infants: The Role of the Music Therapist.- Chapter 13. Family-Centered Music Therapy as Facilitator for Parental Singing during Skin to Skin Contact: Sounding Together.- Part IV: Early Family-Based Interventions in the NICU.- Chapter 14. Stress-Sensitive Parental Brain Systems Regulate Emotion Response and Motivate Sensitive Child-Care.- Chapter 15. Mother/Infant Emotional Communication through the Lens of Visceral/Autonomic Learning and Calming Cycle Theory.- Chapter 16. Implications of Epigenetics in Developmental Care of Preterm Infants in the NICU: Preterm Behavioral Epigenetics.- Chapter 17. Family-Based Interventions and Developmental Care Programs: Rationale, Difficulties, and Effectiveness.