Ottawa newborns announced by a few bars of Brahms
Last Updated: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 | 4:50 PM ET
CBC News
Babies that enter the world crying and screaming at the Ottawa Hospital are now being coaxed back to sleep by the strains of Johannes Brahms's lullaby.
The Ottawa Hospital has begun announcing each new birth at its general campus with about 12 seconds of a twinkly, music box version of the bedtime classic. The excerpt is played twice when twins are born.
The practice started five days ago, and Nicholas D'aoust was one of the first babies to be welcomed by the melody. His father, Marc D'aoust, said it was a "nice way to signify the birth of our little boy."
Laura Lang, a spokeswoman for the Ottawa Hospital, said the purpose of the music is to make people smile and celebrate new life.
"The hospital is all about code blues and code reds," she said. "And this is just a nice sound that says life exists here, the circle of life is here."
The program is similar to one started at the Windsor Regional Hospital in January, and David Musyj, president and CEO of the Windsor hospital, said most of the response from patients and visitors has been positive.
There have been only two complaints in the past seven months. One was from a Holocaust survivor who said the song used to be played in a concentration camp where he was held by the Nazis, and brought back unpleasant memories. The song is no longer played when the man is in the hospital.
So far, both patients and staff at the Ottawa Hospital say the song makes them smile and it's nice to hear about new life, although some have said it can be annoying because it interrupts work.
One patient said Monday that they were worried the music could upset someone who had a miscarriage or a stillbirth.
Lang said the hospital recognizes that.
"There are things all around us that could remind us of those losses," she said. "But it's up to us to sometimes be happy for someone else's joys."
If staff and patient feedback is positive, the Ottawa Hospital hopes to expand the program to its civic campus in the fall.
