Infant‐Directed Singing in Neonatal and Paediatric Intensive Care¹

Abstract

Serious and life‐threatening illnesses in the infant population present complex theoretical and practical challenges for both the family unit and hospital staff. These challenges operate at a minimum of three levels, namely the infant's internal system, the parent—infant relationship and the acute medical context. This article describes infant‐directed singing as an intervention in restoring an attachment bond disrupted by serious illness. In particular, the following will be considered: the need for family focused interventions within the acute medical setting, the usefulness of attachment theory in the acute care context; a technical description of infant‐directed singing and a cybernetic conceptualisation of the relevant staff—mother—infant interactions.