Reading and singing to a premature baby

If your baby was born early, you might be spending long hours beside an incubator, wondering what you can do. The NHS says you can talk to your baby in neonatal care, and that this can help you both.¹ Bliss, the UK charity for babies born premature or sick, says your baby knows your voice and is comforted by you being there.²

There’s no right amount, and nothing you have to do. Go at your own pace, and ask the nurses on your unit what suits your baby today.

Can I read or sing to my baby in the incubator?

Usually, yes. Bliss says that when you feel ready, you can talk, sing and read stories to your baby on the unit.³ You can do it during skin-to-skin. If they’re not ready to come out, Bliss suggests speaking to them before comfort holding, when you rest your hands still around them.⁴ Some parents talk, read or sing during tests and procedures too, as your voice can comfort your baby. Ask the team what’s safe each time.⁵

Does it help?

Most studies here are small, but this is what they suggest so far.

• In a study of 36 very small premature babies, those who heard more adult talk on the unit tended to score higher on language and thinking tests at 7 and 18 months corrected age. That’s a link, and can’t show the talk caused it.⁶ An earlier report from the same team found babies had more back-and-forth “conversations” when a parent was there.⁷
• A review of 15 studies, with 512 premature babies, found that mothers’ voices, live or recorded, were linked with babies being more settled, with fewer breathing and heart-rate problems. There wasn’t enough evidence to judge long-term effects.⁸
• The largest review so far, of 25 trials with about 1,500 premature babies, found that music and voice, mostly soft lullaby-style singing, lowered babies’ heart rates, and the two trials that looked for harms found none. It found no clear effect on later development, but only two small trials measured that.⁹
• When one hospital encouraged parents to read on the unit, 69% said it helped them feel closer to their baby.¹⁰

How loud, and for how long?

• Softly. Units keep voices quiet, but Bliss says you can still talk softly to your baby, and it can help you both feel connected and reassured.¹¹
• Your own voice, not a speaker. In a trial with 272 premature babies, live music from music therapists, including lullabies chosen by parents, was linked with lower heart rates. The researchers used live sound partly because recorded music risks overstimulating babies.¹² Ask the nurses before playing anything.
• A few minutes is plenty. The NHS says interacting can take a lot of a baby’s energy, so they may only manage a few minutes at a time.¹³

What if my baby seems overwhelmed?

Bliss says that as you watch your baby, you’ll notice signs, called cues, that show when they’re relaxed, tired or uncomfortable.⁵ The NHS lists signs that a baby needs a break, such as sneezing, yawning, hiccupping, turning away and closing their eyes. When you see them, slow down, stop, or let them rest.¹³ Ask your nurses which signs to look for in your baby.

Stopping isn’t failing. Sitting quietly beside them counts too.

Once you’re home: corrected age and safe sleep

• Bliss says premature babies may be more sensitive to bright or noisy places, and that talking, singing and eye contact can help you get to know each other.¹⁴
• Corrected age is the age your baby would be if they’d been born on their due date.¹⁵ Health visitors use it to check development until your baby is 2.¹⁶ If your baby was born 8 weeks early, at 5 months old their corrected age is 3 months.
• Use corrected age as a rough guide to our stories and games. Until about 3 months corrected, the newborn ideas suit best: your voice, slow lullabies and a little face-to-face time. Try the games for older babies when yours seems ready.
• The Lullaby Trust says premature babies have a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), so follow safer sleep advice for a year from their due date. If they drift off while you read or sing, lay them on their back in their own cot or Moses basket, in your room, with no hat indoors. Don’t share a bed, sofa or chair with them while you sleep.¹⁷

Getting support

Having a baby in neonatal care is hard, and it’s natural to feel anxious. Talk to the staff about any worries: the NHS says hospitals often have their own counselling or support services.¹ Bliss offers email support, video calls with volunteers, and volunteers in some hospitals.¹⁸

At home, talk to your health visitor or GP about any worries with your baby’s development or sleep, and remind them of your baby’s corrected age.^15,19