Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41102720›Full record

ArticleBMC complementary medicine and therapies2025

The landscape of musical care during the beginning of life in the United Kingdom: a mixed-methods survey study.

Neta Spiro, Katie Rose M Sanfilippo, Caitlin Shaughnessy, Mark Rowles, Elizabeth Coombes, Rosie Perkins, Emily Tredget

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Neta Spiro *Centre for Performance Science, Royal College of Music, London, UK. neta.spiro@rcm.ac.uk.
Katie Rose M Sanfilippo *School of Health and Medical Sciences City St George's, University of London, London, UK.
Caitlin ShaughnessyCentre for Performance Science, Royal College of Music, London, UK.
Mark RowlesCentre for Performance Science, Royal College of Music, London, UK.
Elizabeth CoombesFaculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales, Newport, UK.
Rosie PerkinsCentre for Performance Science, Royal College of Music, London, UK.
Emily TredgetHappity, London, UK.

Funding

Arts and Humanities Research Council AH/P005888/1Leverhulme Trust, through the British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants Scheme SRG2223\230572
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe first 1001 days of life are a critical time in children's development and can be challenging for parents and caregivers. Some families in the United Kingdom (UK) are not getting the support they need. Research indicates that musical care - the role of music in supporting any aspect of people's developmental or health needs - can support families during, what we term, the beginning of life: pregnancy to two years of age. Musical care activities can take place in health and community settings and include music making, music listening, and music therapy. We must describe and understand the patterns of use of musical care activities during the beginning of life in the UK to capitalise on the potential of musical care to support families.

methodsThis article explores, from parents' and musical care providers' perspectives, (1) participation and provision of musical care activities, (2) descriptions and experiences of musical care activities, and (3) motivations for, deterrents from, and perceived outcomes of participation in musical care activities. Data from two co-developed cross-sectional surveys for parents/caregivers (N = 578) and providers (N = 50) was analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.

resultsMost parent/caregivers had participated in at least one musical care activity (83%). The most attended activity was play and development groups for babies that involve some music. Following our thematic analysis, personal preference, experiential and practical factors, recommendation by healthcare providers, and expectation of benefit were identified as motivators while deterrents included challenges in resources and logistics, and lack of inclusivity and diversity. Parents/caregivers perceived both positive and negative outcomes of attending musical care activities. Most providers had not had specific training and for many this work was not their primary income source.

conclusionsThere is a wide range of musical care activities during the beginning of life in the UK. Reasons for attending them range from those specific to music and its care potential to seeing them as leisure activities. The findings have implications for the flexibility and role that musical care activities can play during the beginning of life and call for investigation into how musical care activities may be integrated into care.

Indexed as

CaregiversMusicMusic TherapyParentsAdultChild, PreschoolCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleMiddle AgedPregnancySurveys and QuestionnairesUnited KingdomInfancyMusicMusical CareParentalPerinatalPostnatalPregnancyStepped careSurvey

Identifiers

PMID41102720
PMCPMC12532952

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.