Music Therapy in Paediatric Care
Music Therapy in Paediatric Care
Hospital care can be stressful for children and families. Pain, waiting, unfamiliar people, medical procedures, and loss of routine can affect mood, sleep, confidence, and sense of safety. Paediatric music therapy is a professional therapy service that uses music to support children and families during medical care. It is used in hospitals and paediatric settings to help with coping, pain and anxiety support, emotional expression, and quality of life.
Who can benefit?
Music therapy may support children and adolescents who are:
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admitted to hospital
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preparing for surgery
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having painful or repeated procedures
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receiving treatment for cancer or other serious illness
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feeling anxious, withdrawn, distressed, or overwhelmed
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coping with long hospital stays or repeated admissions
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needing emotional support during recovery
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struggling with medical trauma or fear of treatment
It may also support parents, siblings, and caregivers as part of family-centred care.
Sessions may happen at the bedside, before a procedure, during treatment, or as part of a longer admission. Music therapy can include live singing, preferred songs, instrument play, songwriting, music listening, breathing with music, relaxation, or simple musical choices that help a child feel more involved and more in control.
For some children, the goal is to calm the body before a procedure. For others, it is to express fear, sadness, frustration, or loneliness in a safe way. In some hospital settings, music therapy is also used to support bonding, development, and family connection at the bedside.
Children’s hospitals describe bedside music therapy as helping with positive stimulation, coping, bonding, and support during stressful or painful procedures.
What music therapy may look like
Common main goals
Goals depend on the child’s age, health, and situation, but often include:
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reduce anxiety before procedures or surgery
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support pain and distress management
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improve comfort and emotional regulation
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help children express feelings
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support coping during treatment
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provide a sense of control and choice
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improve mood and self-esteem
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support family connection and bonding
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create positive moments during difficult medical care
Possible benefits
Music therapy does not replace medical treatment, but it can make the medical experience more manageable.
Possible benefits may include:
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less fear and distress
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better coping with procedures and hospital stays
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more comfort and relaxation
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improved mood and engagement
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support for communication when words are hard
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stronger parent-child connection
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better overall quality of life during treatment
Music can reach a child quickly.
It can soothe, distract, organize breathing, support emotional expression and create a sense of familiarity in a stressful setting.
It can also help the hospital feel less frightening and more human.
For children who have little control over what is happening around them, music can offer comfort, connection, and small but meaningful choices