Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 24, 2026
A Within-subjects Experimental Protocol to Assess the Effects of Social Input on Infant EEG
Published on: May 3, 2017
Effect of maternal voice on sleep quality in children following cardiac surgery: protocol for a randomized controlled
Songsong Shi1,2, Xinhong Wang2, Renzhen Wang3
1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Shanghai Children's Medical Center affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Insights
Maternal voice intervention may improve sleep quality in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) after cardiac surgery. This study investigated the impact of maternal voice on postoperative sleep efficiency and recovery in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Sleep Medicine
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) often suffer from sleep disturbances post-surgery, impacting recovery.
- Maternal voice is a potential auditory stimulus to enhance sleep quality in pediatric patients.
- Postoperative sleep disruption is a significant concern in pediatric cardiac surgery recovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of maternal voice auditory intervention on sleep quality in children with CHD undergoing cardiac surgery.
- To assess the impact of maternal voice on postoperative sleep efficiency, pain, and other clinical outcomes.
- To provide evidence for non-pharmacological interventions to improve pediatric surgical recovery.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, randomized controlled trial involving 132 children with CHD undergoing open-heart surgery.
- Random assignment to either a control group or a maternal voice-based intervention group.
- Primary outcome: overall sleep efficiency; Secondary outcomes: sleep parameters, pain, sedation, delirium, biomarkers (BNP, cTnI), medication use, length of stay, and parental satisfaction.
Main Results:
- This section is to be filled after the study's completion and data analysis.
- Results will detail the comparison of sleep efficiency and secondary outcomes between the intervention and control groups.
- Analysis will focus on the quantifiable impact of maternal voice on pediatric recovery post-cardiac surgery.
Conclusions:
- The study aims to establish the efficacy of maternal voice intervention in improving postoperative sleep quality for children with CHD.
- Findings are expected to inform clinical practice regarding supportive care strategies for pediatric cardiac surgery patients.
- This research seeks to offer a novel, non-invasive method to enhance recovery and well-being in this vulnerable population.
Background:
Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) frequently experience postoperative sleep disturbances, which can adversely affect recovery and overall postoperative outcomes. Maternal voice has been suggested as a soothing auditory stimulus with the potential to improve sleep quality in children. This study aims to evaluate the effect of auditory intervention centered on the maternal voice on sleep quality in children undergoing cardiac surgery.
Methods:
This prospective, randomized controlled trial will enroll 132 children with CHD undergoing open-heart surgery. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the control group or the maternal voice-based intervention group. The primary outcome is the overall sleep efficiency across the night of surgery, postoperative Day 1, and postoperative Day 2. Secondary outcomes include additional sleep parameters, pain scores, sedation scores, delirium scores, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels, cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels, dosages of dexmedetomidine and sufentanil, cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) length of stay, total hospital length of stay, and parental satisfaction.
Discussion:
This trial aims to provide high-quality evidence on maternal voice to improve postoperative sleep quality in children with CHD.
Trial Registration Numbers:
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (https://www.chictr.org.cn) ChiCTR2500111004.
