Music for Patient Satisfaction During Cesarean Delivery

Overseen By Awathif D Mackeen, MD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Female

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Geisinger Clinic

Disqualifiers: Fetal anomaly, Multifetal gestation, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

Duration: 6 hours

100 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores whether listening to music during a cesarean delivery (C-section) enhances the experience for participants. Some participants will listen to their choice of music through special headphones, while others will not have music available. Expectant mothers of a single baby who have had a previous C-section and plan another at Geisinger Medical Center may be eligible to participate. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to enhance the C-section experience with music.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that music therapy is safe during cesarean delivery?

Research has shown that music therapy is generally safe during cesarean deliveries. Studies have found that it can lower anxiety and stress and even reduce the amount of anesthesia needed during the procedure. No major safety concerns have been reported with using music in this setting. In fact, it tends to enhance the overall experience without causing harm. Therefore, for those considering joining a trial involving music during a cesarean, current evidence suggests it is a safe and well-tolerated option. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about using music during cesarean deliveries because it offers a non-invasive way to enhance patient satisfaction and reduce anxiety. Unlike traditional methods that rely on medications to manage stress and discomfort, music can provide a soothing atmosphere without any side effects. By allowing patients to choose their own tunes and using bone conduction headphones, this approach personalizes the experience and could help create a more calm and positive environment during surgery.

What evidence suggests that music therapy is effective for increasing patient satisfaction during cesarean delivery?

Research has shown that listening to music during a cesarean delivery can increase patient satisfaction. In this trial, participants in the music arm will listen to music of their choice through bone conduction headphones during the procedure. Studies have found that music reduces anxiety and pain for women undergoing this procedure. For instance, one study discovered that women who listened to music felt less anxious and experienced lower pain levels, as indicated by their heart rates. Another study found that slow, rhythmic music helped reduce anxiety during a C-section. Overall, using music appears promising in making the delivery experience more comfortable. ^{1 2 5 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Awathif D Mackeen, MD

Principal Investigator

Geisinger Clinic

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for English-speaking individuals with a single pregnancy, who are scheduled for their second or third cesarean delivery at Geisinger Medical Center and are at least 37 weeks along. They must be able to give consent.

Inclusion Criteria

Singleton pregnancy

Scheduled cesarean delivery at Geisinger Medical Center

Able and willing to provide consent

Exclusion Criteria

Intrauterine fetal demise

Participants that present in labor or require urgent/emergent cesarean delivery

I am scheduled for surgery under general anesthesia.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Treatment

Participants undergo cesarean delivery with or without music played during the procedure

6 hours

1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants and their support person complete satisfaction surveys and vital signs are monitored

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Music

Trial Overview The study is testing if listening to music during cesarean delivery can improve patient satisfaction. Participants will listen to music and then rate their satisfaction using a survey and visual scale while vital signs are monitored.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Music Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants who undergo cesarean delivery will have music of their choice played through bone conduction headphones.

Group II: No music Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants who undergo cesarean delivery will not have music available to listen to during the procedure.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Geisinger Clinic

Lead Sponsor

Trials

159

Recruited

1,976,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A new clinical music therapy program for labor and delivery showed promising results, with 13 women receiving music therapy achieving significantly higher success scores in their childbirth experience compared to a control group of 7 women (p < .05).

The study found a moderate correlation between the frequency and duration of music practice at home and successful childbirth outcomes, suggesting that engaging with music therapy before delivery can positively influence the labor experience.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Music therapy-assisted labor and delivery. Clark, ME., McCorkle, RR., Williams, SB.[2019]

Music therapy during labor significantly reduced levels of pain in women undergoing vaginal delivery, with lower scores in latent, active, and transition-phase pain compared to a control group that received usual care.

Participants who listened to music reported a more positive childbirth experience, suggesting that music therapy is a safe and effective non-pharmacological intervention for improving labor outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effects of music therapy on labor pain, childbirth experience, and self-esteem during epidural labor analgesia in primiparas: a non-randomized experimental study. An, SY., Park, EJ., Moon, YR., et al.[2023]

In a study of 150 women undergoing scheduled cesarean delivery, listening to preselected Mozart music significantly reduced preoperative anxiety compared to no music, while patient-selected music (Pandora) did not show a similar effect.

Postoperative pain was also lower in the Mozart group compared to the control group, suggesting that preselected music may have beneficial effects on both anxiety and pain management during cesarean deliveries.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effect of patient-selected or preselected music on anxiety during cesarean delivery: a randomized controlled trial. Drzymalski, DM., Lumbreras-Marquez, MI., Tsen, LC., et al.[2021]

In a study of 108 parturients undergoing elective cesarean delivery, music listening significantly reduced postoperative anxiety and pain catastrophizing scores, indicating its efficacy as a non-pharmacological intervention.

While music listening did not significantly affect acute pain scores, over 95% of participants reported high satisfaction with the experience, suggesting it is a safe and well-received option for managing anxiety in the obstetric setting.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effect of music listening on perioperative anxiety, acute pain and pain catastrophizing in women undergoing elective cesarean delivery: a randomized controlled trial. Kakde, A., Lim, MJ., Shen, H., et al.[2023]

Listening to music for 30 minutes before elective cesarean delivery significantly reduced anxiety levels and pain scores in women, as shown by heart rate variability analysis and self-reported measures.

The study involved 60 women, and those who listened to music experienced a notable decrease in anxiety and pain compared to the control group, highlighting the potential benefits of music as a non-invasive intervention in surgical settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Preoperative music intervention for patients undergoing cesarean delivery. Li, Y., Dong, Y.[2022]

In a systematic review of 15 randomized controlled trials involving 1261 patients, music significantly reduced intraoperative anxiety during cesarean deliveries, with various assessment tools showing consistent results.

Patients who listened to music also experienced lower postoperative opioid requirements, suggesting that music may not only help with anxiety but also contribute to pain management after surgery.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effect of music on anxiety in women undergoing cesarean delivery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Weingarten, SJ., Levy, AT., Berghella, V.[2021]

In a study of 64 women undergoing cesarean delivery, those who received music therapy alongside routine care reported significantly lower anxiety levels and higher satisfaction with their experience compared to those who received only routine care.

While music therapy improved emotional outcomes, it did not have a significant impact on physiological measures during the cesarean delivery.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of music therapy on women's physiologic measures, anxiety, and satisfaction during cesarean delivery. Chang, SC., Chen, CH.[2022]

Citations

1. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-satisfaction-patient-7-2024-3a7a1

Music for Patient Satisfaction During Cesarean Delivery Listening to music for 30 minutes before elective cesarean delivery significantly reduced anxiety levels and pain scores in women, as shown by heart rate ...

2. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04111575

Music Therapy for Women, Delivered Via Cesarean Section Therefore, the study was carried out as a randomized controlled trial in order to evaluate the effect of music therapy on the level of pain and anxiety in the ...

3. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10706633/

The Effects of Music-Based Interventions for Pain and ... Music-based interventions show promising effects in mitigating pain and anxiety in women during labour. However, the long-term effects of these interventions ...

4. jcpres.com jcpres.com/storage/upload/pdfs/EMJ_44_3_257_262.pdf

Effects of Music Intervention During Cesarean Section on ... Our results demonstrated that the anxiety of patients who listened to slow, rhythmic Sufi music during a C-section was lower than that of a ...

5. reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-025-02023-z

Sounds of comfort: the impact of music therapy on labor pain ... Women in the music therapy group consistently reported lower levels of pain and anxiety during labor, coupled with improved maternal ...

6. eurjmedres.biomedcentral.com eurjmedres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40001-025-02713-1

Effects of training prior to music therapy-assisted childbirth on ... During MTACB, the intervention group experienced less labor pain and had lower risk of negative outcomes, such as less postpartum bleeding, ...

7. journals.lww.com journals.lww.com/nohe/fulltext/2025/07000/impact_of_music_therapy_on_anxiety,_stress.10.aspx

Impact of Music Therapy on Anxiety, Stress Indicators, and... Conclusion: Music therapy demonstrates clinically meaningful reductions in perioperative anxiety, pain, and anesthetic requirements during cesarean delivery, ...