Translating 'infant-directed singing' into a strategy for the hospitalized family

This chapter explores the possibilities for the music therapist employing infant-directed singing both with the infant's family, and also directly with the infant. First, the experience of the healthy infant in the context of the infant's family is presented, and then an exploration of the hospital experience for a newborn infant and family creates a picture about the potential and value of music therapy in this context. Finally, the chapter focuses on how and why infant-directed singing provides a simple yet potent experience for the developing infant.