Music Therapy Intervention Using a Holy Quran Recitation Improves Feeding Status, Weight Gain and Length of Stay Among Preterm Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: One of the most important challenges that preterm infants face is nutritional problems. Poor postnatal weight gain can lead to various complications. Purpose: To determine the effects of listening to the Holy Quran on the feeding status, postnatal weight gain, and length of hospital stay of preterm infants. Methods: The current randomized clinical trial was conducted in the city of Qazvin in 2024. The samples included 80 preterm infants hospitalized in neonatal intensive care unit, who were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups (40 in the Holy Quran recitation group and 40 in the control group). In addition to the routine care, the participants in the intervention group listened to the Holy Quran via headphones for 20 minutes 3 times a day, whereas the participants in the control group did not receive any intervention. Results: The mean days to achieve the first oral feeding (P < .001), the mean days to achieve full oral feeding (P < .001), the mean weight gain at the time of achieving the first oral feeding (P < .046), and the mean length of hospital stay (P < .001) were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group. Implications for practice and research: In addition to standard treatments, listening to the Holy Quran, as a complementary method, can improve some parameters related to feeding and the quicker discharge of preterm infants.