Or rock it, or pop it or whatever music genre you want it! 21/06 is World Music Day so let’s put on some music and see why music is considered beneficial for enhancing fertility.
You probably know already about the numerous health benefits of music; it elevates mood, stimulates memories, helps people eat less, manages pain, increases workout endurance, and reduces stress. When you experience any form of infertility, the stress and negative emotions you feel are increasing. If you -at the same time- decide on performing a fertility treatment that might add up to the whole negative situation. Studies have shown that the complementary therapy of music can reduce a patient’s anxiety and stress levels and alleviate pain.
More specifically, it is found that musical vibrations increase the fertilization rate of IVF cycles by 5%. You may find this percentage insignificant but if just one more couple succeeds in pregnancy it is a huge success for the fertility sector.
In a study of 793 patients who underwent IVF treatment, scientists included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared music therapy to no music intervention. Their primary outcomes were anxiety score using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) tool and pain score utilizing the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Their secondary outcomes were the overall satisfaction score and clinical pregnancy rate. Music therapy was found to significantly reduce anxiety score and improve pain score, while at the same time more women in music therapy group experienced an increase in the clinical pregnancy rate in comparison with the other group but the result was not statistically significant.
In another study published on Fertility and Sterility, findings also indicate that music helps people process IVF smoother. The experiment was conducted in 144 infertile women who underwent IVF procedures, between 21 to 45 years. Based on the eligibility criteria and consent the participants were assigned to two groups, one with music therapy and one without. Analysis of the subjects irrespective of the groups showed a statistically significant difference in anxiety scores in relation to duration of infertility and type of procedure. The mean anxiety scores in the interventional group, reduced from 13.50 to 8.60 which was found to have a statistically significance. In the control group, there was no significant difference in the anxiety scores. The result of the study showed that therapy with music reduces the anxiety of women before undergoing an invasive IVF procedure. Interventions like music therapy can be easily utilized as a complementary way of reducing the anxiety levels in women, especially during the procedural aspect of IVF treatment.
Dr. Marisa López-Teijón conducted a study similar to the above studies and presented her findings at ESHRE in London. She and her team analyzed 985 in vitro fertilized eggs from 114 patients. These were randomly divided into two groups and were cultured in two different incubators: one provided with a loudspeaker system and the other in a conventional incubator.
The results show that those grown with music had a statistically higher fertilization rate, increased by 4.8%. They have chosen three different musical styles: pop, hard rock and classical music, to measure possible variations depending on the frequency of the beat, but they did not detect significant differences between one and the other. In natural conditions, oocytes and embryos travel through the fallopian tubes into the uterus due to continuous peristaltic movements that move them, surround them with the nutrients they need, and drive them away from their waste metabolites. These cell movements facilitate the exchange of substances, but embryos in the laboratory remain static in the culture media, and, as a result, the released toxic products -free radicals or ammonium – are stored in the culture medium in which they lie. Their hypothesis is that micro vibrations stir the culture media, thus producing a more homogeneous distribution of the nutrients and dispersing toxic products to avoid their accumulation.
And if you felt dizzy with all the scientific talk, just keep this in mind: as Beethoven says “music can change the world”, but what about helping create new worlds?
It all comes down to your mental health state while experiencing any stressful situation. And indeed, fertility treatments can be stressful and you’ll probably experience an emotional rollercoaster, but even the small things help. How many times have you wished to put on your headphones and get lost in a world more beautiful and peaceful than the actual one? In that world maybe it’s just you and your baby. In this world we must do everything possible to give you that baby. There are plenty of fertility treatments that cover different health needs, all you have to do is get the correct medical advice, and hope for the best. MEDIPASS will be by your side during your fertility journey ensuring a smooth process and supporting you no matter what.
And what a great coincidence, our CEO also plays in a band, so if you are a fan of indie rock why not give you the Spotify list to listen to? 🙂
There are many playlists in Youtube too, which aim to calm you and prepare you mentally for the journey:
Safe space here, we will not judge you whatever you want to hear! We just want to help you build the family you deserve.
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