Musical pacifier helps premature infants’ growth
New musical pacifier helps premature infants’ growth
The new device, known as the Pacifier Activated Lullaby (PAL), reinforces baby’s speed and power of sucking through producing musical lullaby.
Research studies have shown that the PAL can reduce the length of hospital stay by an average of five days in premature infants.
“Unlike full-term infants, very premature babies come into the world lacking the neurologic ability to coordinate a suck, swallow, breathe response for oral feeding, but PAL help them feed sooner and leave the hospital sooner,” said the Distinguished Professor of Music Therapy and inventor of PAL Jayne Standley from Florida State university.
His studies indicate increased sucking power by up to 2.5 times in infants using the pacifiers compared with those babies who are not exposed to the musical device.
The PAL provides musical reinforcement every time the baby sucks on it correctly. As the produced lullabies are gentle and pleasant to the baby, they continue the sucking motion to hear more of the sound.
“Using the musical device that actually gives the baby comfort while learning an essential life skill, can be a valuable complement to NICU care,” Standley said.
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