Researchers in Brazil evaluated the effects of music therapy on the breastfeeding rates of mothers with clinically stable premature infants in a Rio de Janeiro Maternity Hospital. A randomized, controlled trial of 94 mothers included an intervention group of 48 who were offered 60 minutes of music therapy 3 times per week, as well as 46 mothers in a comparison group who received usual care. Breastfeeding rates were evaluated at 7-15 days, 30 days, and 60 days following discharge. The median number of music sessions - each session had 4 parts and included opportunities for verbal expression by the mother - was 7 per subject (range: 3-25). The music therapy group reported significantly more breastfeeding infants at the first follow-up point and, while the rates were not considered significant at 30 and 60 days following discharge, the rates continued to be higher when compared to the control group. The researchers encouraged further studies with larger sample sizes in varied settings, but stated that their trial results suggest that this simple, low-cost approach "could be useful to increase breastfeeding rates among mothers of premature newborns."

To address the question of whether music and singing can contribute to the health and well-being of older adults, researchers in England systematically reviewed existing literature. Sixteen studies of varying types met inclusion criteria and were categorized into 3 areas: 1) people with dementia; 2) specific disorders (osteoarthritis, joint surgery, COPD); and 3) everyday quality of life. While all studies reported benefits from music-listening or singing in the elderly populations, the authors report some limitations in the size and strength of the studies. Further, they noted that, while additional research is needed, there is an increasing base of evidence to support the benefits of music-listening and singing.

Researchers from Temple University examined the potential of music listening to reduce the distress of coronary heart disease (CHD) by performing a systematic review of the psychological and physiological effects of music intervention in this population. In a thorough review of published and unpublished literature, randomized trials that compared music interventions plus standard care with standard care alone for patients with CHD were included. An analysis of 23 studies with a total of 1461 participants showed that the majority of studies examined the effects of listening to pre-recorded music and most studies (n=21) were done without the services of a professional music therapist. While the overall results were inconsistent, music listening did have a moderate effect on anxiety levels but did not show strong evidence for reduced psychological distress.

Results further showed that music listening aided in reductions in heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure in patients with CHD. Results in studies that included 2 or more music sessions showed a small and consistent benefit of pain relief. The authors report that the clinical significance of these results is unclear because the quality of study evidence was not strong, but they conclude that music listening may have a beneficial effect on blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, anxiety, and pain in persons with CHD.