We help bring music to Neonatal Intensive Care Units at St Mary’s and Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea hospitals

In April 2019 we teamed up with Imperial Health Charity and Music in Hospitals and Care to bring therapeutic live music to premature babies and babies with complex medical needs and their parents in one of the largest neonatal units in the UK.

The Lullaby Hour is part of a pioneering Integrated Family Delivered Care project, led by Consultant Neonatologists, Aniko Deierl and Jayanata Banerjee. Aniko, Jay and their team recognised the importance’s of creating unique bonding experiences for parents and their babies and advised on the introduction of artistic intervention within the neonatal units.

As a result, the first Lullaby Hour was introduced to both hospitals in October 2018. The programme involves trained musicians visiting the neonatal care unit to perform gentle lullabies at the bedside, helping babies and their parents relax and enjoy moments of bonding. The hourly sessions are delivered bi-weekly in each hospital unit.

The experience of listening to the soothing sounds of lullabies offer comfort and help create special memories for parents and their babies. Medical research shows that music can reduce the perception of pain and decrease feelings of stress, anxiety and depression in patients, relatives and staff. It also helps to provide a supportive, calm hospital environment for parents and their new-borns.

The sessions are facilitated by Music in Hospitals & Care – a charity that initially developed the project. It has won a national award for innovation from the Scottish Power Foundation, as well as funding from Arts Council England towards a Lullaby Hour songbook.

At ArtSocial Foundation we understand how powerful music can be for wellbeing and stress relief and we have committed to fund the project for the next 12 months.