Caesarean section is a surgical procedure for delivering a baby. It involves making surgical incisions into the mother's abdominal wall and uterus. These operations are performed if there is a serious medical concern for the mother or baby. Caesarean sections are generally done with regional anaesthesia, either a spinal or epidural block with anaesthetic injected into the area around the spine in the lower back, which makes the mother feel numb from the waist down. Women have increased risks associated with anaesthesia and surgery, and the baby may be more likely to be admitted to a neonatal unit or separated from the mother.
Women having a caesarean section under regional anaesthesia are often highly anxious during the operation and may feel some discomfort. Listening to relaxing music of the woman's choice may lead to better outcomes and less need for treatment.
The review findings indicate that listening to music during planned caesarean section under regional anaesthesia may improve pulse rates and birth satisfaction scores, although the effect sizes were not large enough to indicate a clinically beneficial effect. The review authors identified one controlled trial that randomly assigned 76 women who listened to their preferred music through earphones, or to standard care, but data were available for only 64 women. The music was provided from the beginning of anaesthesia to the end of surgery. The women's heart rates were reduced by some seven beats/minute when measured at the end of contact with the newborn during the intra-operative period and after the surgeon had completed skin suture. Birth satisfaction scores were increased by a mean of 3.4 points on a 35-point scale when women listened to music. Respiration rates were no different for the two groups and neither were levels of anxiety, which decreased at the end of contact with the newborn and again after closing the skin, with no clear difference with or without music. The trial was from Taiwan and reporting of trial methodology was poor.