Name:Emily Pivovarnik

School/Affiliation:The Ohio State University

Co-Authors:Jill Heathcock, PhD, MPT

Virtual or In-person:In-person

Short Bio:

Emily Pivovarnik, MM, LPMT, MT-BC, is a second year PhD student in the College of Medicine, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at The Ohio State University, where she is a member of the Pediatric Assessment and Rehabilitation Laboratory under Dr. Jill Heathcock. She holds a bachelor's degree in music therapy from Montclair State University and a master's degree in Music Therapy from Florida State University. She has over 6 years of clinical experience providing music therapy interventions in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Her research focuses on music therapy interventions to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm and high-risk infants. She is a research fellow of the National Institute for Infant and Child Medical Music Therapy.

Abstract:

Motivation: Early music exposure influences neurodevelopment, shaping perception, cognition, and attention. With increasing media use in infancy, understanding how the amount and type of music exposure relate to early cognitive and language development is critical. This study examined music exposure and associations with neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Methodology: Typically developing infants (N = 29; ages 4-29 months; 57% male) completed the Bayley Scales of Infant Development- Fourth Edition. Parents reported amount (listens 2-3x per week, 1x per day, 1-3 hours per day, or several hours per day) and type (music class, TV/YouTube with music, music with or without words, or parent singing) of exposure. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and point-biserial correlations.

Results: All infants were exposed to music (100%). Most were exposed at least once daily (86.2%), with 44.8% exposed 1-3 hours per day. Amount of exposure had moderate non-significant correlations with cognitive (r = 0.37, p = 0.05) or language outcomes (r =0.31, p = 0.11). Attending music class showed significant strong positive correlations with receptive language outcomes (r = 0.62, p = 0.000) and moderate associations with cognitive outcomes (r = 0.48, p = 0.008). YouTube/TV showed moderate positive correlations with cognitive (r = 0.49, p = 0.007) and expressive language scores (r = 0.43, p = 0.020).

Implications: Findings suggest that type of music exposure may contribute to early neurodevelopment. Both structured (music class) and passive (TV/YouTube) were linked to stronger cognitive and language outcomes. Larger studies are warranted to confirm and extend these associations.