Bonding & Music

What Is Attachment?

Bowlby (1982) developed attachment theory — a foundational concept in developmental psychology: babies are biologically programmed to seek proximity to caregivers in order to obtain safety. This evolutionarily anchored tendency forms the basis for all subsequent relationships. Ainsworth et al. (1978) identified distinct attachment patterns through empirical observation (the Strange Situation), showing how differently children respond to the availability and responsiveness of their caregivers. Main & Solomon (1986, 1990) later added the disorganized pattern as a fourth category.

After Bowlby (1982); Ainsworth et al. (1978); Main & Solomon (1986, 1990).

Bonding Begins Before Birth

Babies perceive sounds from as early as week 24 of pregnancy (Kaufmann & Nussberger, 2014, p. 92) and can react to stimuli during the final trimester (Elmer, 2015, p. 101). The transition to parenthood represents a profound shift in identity (Geene, 2018). Early identification as a parent begins around week 12 of pregnancy and forms the foundation of prenatal bonding development (Geene, 2018).

After Kaufmann & Nussberger (2014); Elmer (2015).

Pre-verbal Communication — The Forgotten Language

Babies communicate exclusively non-verbally at first (Bowlby, 1982). Adults are accustomed to cognitive-verbal communication and have often lost intuitive access to playful, non-verbal interaction (Stumptner & Thomsen, 2005). Yet this non-verbal level is initially the only one that allows genuine connection. When a baby experiences that its needs are recognized and regulated by a caregiver, it builds trust and gradually develops a secure attachment (Phan Quoc, 2020).

The Voice as a Bonding Tool

“I can’t sing” — this statement is widespread in many cultures, but it misses the point entirely. Humming, vocalizing, and lullabies require no musical training. A remarkable study (Carlsen Misic et al., 2025) showed that parents — none of whom were musicians — who sang to their babies during painful medical procedures significantly calmed their children and helped regulate their stress response. Simply humming and vocalizing a melody is enough to convey safety. Musical abilities are inherent in humans from the earliest age (Phan Quoc, 2020).

Music Therapy During Pregnancy

Music therapy offers structured interventions that support bonding even before birth. Research demonstrates positive effects on anxiety, wellbeing, and the emotional connection to the unborn child (Cheung et al., 2025; Kaufmann & Nussberger, 2014). Wulff et al. (2017) show that music in obstetrics reduces tension, pain, and stress. The home musical environment also plays a significant role — the Music@Home questionnaire by Politimou et al. (2018) measures how musical activity at home supports early development.

References

1. Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. (1978). Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the Strange Situation. Erlbaum.
2. Bowlby, J. (1982). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment (2nd ed.). Basic Books.
3. Carlsen Misic, M., Ericson, J., Eriksson, M., Olsson, E., & Ullsten, A. (2025). Effect of combined skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding, and parents’ live lullaby singing on relieving acute procedural pain in neonates (SWEpap): A multicenter randomized controlled trial in Sweden. BMC Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-025-06393-y
4. Cheung, P. S., Mohamad, M. M., Fitzpatrick, K., Murphy Tighe, S., Clifford, A. M., & McCaffrey, T. (2025). A specialised antenatal music therapy (SAMT) programme for pregnant women with mental health conditions. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 34(3), 202–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/08098131.2024.2396099
5. Elmer, S. S. (2015). Kind und Musik. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41692-7
6. Geene, R. (2018). Gesundheitsförderung rund um die Geburt — Das 10-Phasen-Modell. Gesundheitswesen, 80. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1667617
7. Kaufmann, J., & Nussberger, R. (2014). Gespürt — gehört — gebor(g)en: Musiktherapie mit risikoschwangeren Frauen, Säuglingen und Kleinkindern. Reichert.
8. Lehnig, F., Linde, K., & Wallwiener, M. (2024). Reliability and validity of the original and brief German version of the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS). PLOS ONE, 19(12), e0316374. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316374
9. Loewy, J. (2015). NICU music therapy: Song of kin as critical lullaby in research and practice. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1337, 178–185. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12648
10. Loewy, J., Stewart, K., Dassler, A. M., Telsey, A., & Homel, P. (2013). The effects of music therapy on vital signs, feeding, and sleep in premature infants. Pediatrics, 131(5), 902–918. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-1367
11. Main, M., & Solomon, J. (1986). Discovery of a new, insecure-disorganized/disoriented attachment pattern. In T. B. Brazelton & M. Yogman (Eds.), Affective development in infancy (pp. 95–124). Ablex.
12. Main, M., & Solomon, J. (1990). Procedures for identifying infants as disorganized/disoriented during the Ainsworth Strange Situation. In M. T. Greenberg, D. Cicchetti, & E. M. Cummings (Eds.), Attachment in the preschool years (pp. 121–160). University of Chicago Press.
13. Phan Quoc, E. (2020). Die Bedeutung der Bindungstheorie für die Musiktherapie. In H. U. Schmidt et al. (Hrsg.), Musiktherapie bei psychischen und psychosomatischen Störungen (S. 169–189). Elsevier.
14. Politimou, N., Stewart, L., Müllensiefen, D., & Franco, F. (2018). Music@Home: A novel instrument to assess the home musical environment in the early years. PLOS ONE, 13(4), e0193819. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0193819
15. Stumptner, K., & Thomsen, C. (2005). MusikSpielTherapie (MST) — Eine Eltern-Kind-Psychotherapie für Kinder im Alter bis zu vier Jahren. Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie, 54(8), 684–699. https://doi.org/10.25656/01:966
16. Wulff, V., Hepp, P., Fehm, T., & Schaal, N. K. (2017). Musik in der Geburtshilfe: Eine Interventionsmöglichkeit zur Anspannungs-, Schmerz- und Stressreduktion. Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde, 77(9), 967–976. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-118414

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