Effect of Musical Stimulation on Placental Programming and Neurodevelopment Outcome of Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review

Background: The fetal environment is modulated by the placenta, which integrates and transduces information from the maternal environment to the fetal developmental program and adapts rapidly to changes through epigenetic mechanisms that respond to internal (hereditary) and external (environmental and social) signals. Consequently, the fetus corrects the trajectory of own development. During the last trimester of gestation, plasticity shapes the fetal brain, and prematurity can alter the typical developmental trajectories. In this period, prevention through activity-inducing (e.g., music stimulation) interventions are currently tested. The purpose of this review is to describe the potentialities of music exposure on fetus, and on preterm newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit evaluating its influence on neurobehavioral development. Methods: Databases were searched from 2010 to 2022 for studies investigating mechanisms of placental epigenetic regulation and effects of music exposure on the fetus and pre-term neonates. Results: In this case, 28 selected papers were distributed into three research lines: studies on placental epigenetic regulation (13 papers), experimental studies of music stimulation on fetus or newborns (6 papers), and clinical studies on premature babies (9 papers). Placental epigenetic changes of the genes involved in the cortisol and serotonin response resulted associated with different neurobehavioral phenotypes in newborns. Prenatal music stimulation had positive effects on fetus, newborn, and pregnant mother while post-natal exposure affected the neurodevelopment of the preterm infants and parental interaction. Conclusions: The results testify the relevance of environmental stimuli for brain development during the pre- and perinatal periods and the beneficial effects of musical stimulation that can handle the fetal programming and the main neurobehavioral disorders.