PREEME MIGHTY MUSIC
Produced by Mads Tolling
Breathing
“You are my sunshine”
Premature infants range from needing a ventilator, to CPAP, to high flow oxygen, to learning how to breathe room air on their own. Music at each of these different stages is dosed by tempo, tone, timbre, and phrasing. Each tune is also artistically interpreted to match medical condition requirements. This helps with steadying the heartbeat when it becomes too slow (bradycardia) and breathing pauses that must be managed (apnea). Bradycardia and Apnea occur because preemies have immature nervous systems that cannot yet regulate heartbeat and breathing. This is often one reason for longer hospital stays.
Following the dosed tempo and mood of a tune for each color stage helps your baby relax, and supports their body’s breathing and heartbeat biorhythm. (The PreeMe team likes to be creative with lyrics)
Purple Stage
For preemies using a ventilator or having a difficult day. Purple stage music is dosed with a slow chanting tempo, in a calm key, with phrasing, tone, and timbre to match the immature nervous system that is easily stressed. Babies at this stage require high levels of NICU support and often need lines and tubes that connect their bodies to life saving machines. Parents are adjusting to the overwhelming environment. The music is dosed to help alleviate parental anxiety and help establish early breathing patterns.
Blue Stage
For preemies using CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) or doing well on ventilator support and soon to graduate to CPAP. Baby’s immature bodies still need gentle stimulation to manage breathing pauses and heart rate drops, especially during necessary procedures. Baby is asleep most of the time, a little bit of bottle feeding may be started. Music is dosed at slightly higher tempos to match the developing nervous system. Tone and phrasing needs to be soothing, yet encourage some awake cycles for feeding. Two options are available. Dosing with vibrato at reduced tempo helps gently encourage waking up in preparation for feeding. Without vibrato helps with reminding the baby to breathe, to manage apnea.
Orange Stage
For preemies using high flow or low flow oxygen support or doing well on CPAP. Baby’s body is now able to do most of the breathing on their own, with oxygen support. They are starting to be able to self-adjust to breathing pauses, but consistency is still an issue. They are ready for more active alert time with parents. Music is dosed with a tempo that is closer to full-term infant heart rate, and helps establish longer awake cycles for feeding and parent interaction. Tone, timbre and phrasing are gentle ways to help baby’s body establish consistency in heart rate and breathing, managing mild apnea and bradycardia.
Yellow Stage
For preemies able to breathe room air on their own. Their bodies are getting the hang of regular breathing patterns, without pauses, and regular heart beats, without sudden drops. Music here is encouraging, but not stressful, matching heartbeat, and breathing patterns. Babies are being monitored for going home.
Going Home
Each baby’s NICU pattern of development is unique. Every parent journeys in their own way to find strength and wisdom through these hard times, creatively improvising and navigating unexpected turns. Jazz is a reminder of the beauty in detours, and knowing that you always find your way back to the melody. Taking elements from each color stage, double grammy award winning jazz virtuoso Mads Tolling creates a special improvised arrangement that brings a little lightness and joy to the NICU experience, whenever parents might need a dose of positive energy.
