Music Under Surgery In Children

This study will investigate the effects of a music intervention on distress, anxiety and pain in pediatric surgery. Surgical procedures are accompanied by high levels of distress and pain in the adult as well as the pediatric population. Studies in adult populations found that music interventions prior to and during surgery can alleviate anxiety and distress surrounding surgery and postoperative pain. In this study, we will investigate the hypothesis that music interventions prior to and during surgery will result in less anxiety and distress in infants undergoing surgical procedures.

The research will take place in children in the age of 0-3 years who will have surgery for inguinal hernia, undescended testicle or hypospadias.

This study will be performed as a single-blinded randomized controlled intervention study. Patients will be allocated to one of three study arms, resulting in two, one or no music interventions. Music interventions are administered by headphone. Subjects will listen to an appropriate music intervention, as reported in literature and recommended by music therapists.

The effect of the music intervention will be monitored during the first 24 hours after surgery. All patients will be recruited in The Netherlands.

Surgical procedures are accompanied by high levels of distress and pain in the adult as well as the pediatric population. Music interventions have shown to reduce this anxiety and pain in adult populations. In this study, we will investigate the hypothesis that music interventions prior to and during surgery will result in less anxiety, distress and pain in infants undergoing surgical procedures.

t=0 outpatient clinic

t=1 ward

t=2 holding area

t=3 start of surgery

t=4 end of surgery

t=5 30 minutes postoperatively

t=6 4 hours postoperatively

t=7 24 hours postoperatively

Patient randomly allocated to one of three intervention groups:

1. music intervention prior to and during surgery

2. music intervention prior to surgery

3. control group, no music intervention, receives standard care.

Patients in group 1 and 2 receive music intervention by headphone for approximately 15 minutes prior to surgery, patients in group 3 receive standard care. During surgery, all patients receive headphones, but only patients in group 1 will have a music intervention.