The Effect of Music Therapy on Procedural Pain in Children Aged 3-6 Years: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Year 2024, Volume: 2 Issue: 1, 63 - 67, 30.06.2024

Halil İbrahim Taşdemir

Abstract

Introduction: Pain is one of the most common undesirable experiences for children undergoing trauma, illness, or necessary medical interventions. Effective pain management in pediatric patients is crucial to reduce anxiety, facilitate examinations, and prevent somatic symptoms. Music therapy has been recognized as a beneficial non-pharmacological
method for alleviating pain and anxiety in children during medical procedures.
Aim: This study aims to investigate the effects of music therapy on procedural pain in children aged 3-6 years undergoing IV catheterization.
Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted in the pediatric ward of a state hospital in Bucak, Burdur, from May to June 2024. Eighty children aged 3-6 years were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=40) or the control group (n=40). The intervention group listened to age-appropriate music through earphones 30 seconds before and during the IV catheterization procedure, while the control group received standard care without music. Pain was assessed using the EVENDOL pain scale and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0, with descriptive statistics, t-tests, and ANOVA used for comparisons.
Results: There were no significant differences in socio-demographic characteristics between the intervention and control groups (p>0.05). The intervention group had significantly lower pain scores during IV catheterization (p=0.002) and 15 seconds post-procedure (p=0.011) compared to the control group. VAS scores also indicated a significant reduction in
pain for the intervention group (p=0.021).
Conclusion: Music therapy significantly reduces procedural pain in children aged 3-6 years undergoing IV catheterization. This study supports the integration of music therapy into pediatric pain management protocols as a simple, cost-effective, and non-invasive method to enhance patient comfort and reduce anxiety. Further research with larger sample sizes and multi-center trials is recommended to confirm these findings and explore the impact of different types of music on pain relief in pediatric patients.

Keywords

Pediatric pain, music therapy, procedural pain, non-pharmacological intervention, pain management

References

• Anderson, D. E., & Patel, A. D. (2018). Infants born preterm, stress, and neurodevelopment in the neonatal intensive care unit: Might music have an impact?. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 60(3), 256-266.