The effect of listening to a mother’s voice on emergence delirium in pediatric patients undergoing adenotonsillectomy: a prospective study

Abstract

Emergence delirium (ED) is a common and clinically significant complication in pediatric patients following general anesthesia, particularly after otorhinolaryngological procedures. This prospective observational study aimed to evaluate the effect of listening to a mother’s recorded voice during emergence from anesthesia on emergence delirium in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy. Eighty children aged 2–10 years were randomly assigned to either a maternal voice group (Group M), who listened to their mother’s recorded voice via headphones during emergence ( n = 40), or a control group (Group C), who wore headphones without auditory stimulation ( n = 40). Emergence delirium and pain were evaluated using the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) scale and the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) scale at 0, 15, and 30 min postoperatively. PAED scores at T0 and T15 were significantly lower in Group M compared to Group C ( p = 0.0003 and p = 0.0079, respectively). The incidence of ED (PAED ≥ 10) at T0 was also significantly reduced in Group M (30% vs. 52.5%, p = 0.041). No significant correlation was found between preoperative anxiety levels and ED. The present findings indicate that non-pharmacological interventions, particularly exposure to the maternal voice, are effective in reducing the incidence and severity of emergence delirium. Children who listened to their mother’s voice recording while waking up from anesthesia had a lower incidence of emergence delirium. A low correlation was found between the mother’s preoperative anxiety level and postoperative PAED scores. The findings of our study support the effect of the mother’s voice on ED. Maternal voice is an effective non-pharmacological intervention for reducing emergence delirium in pediatric patients. Incidence of postoperative delirium was lower in children who listened to their mother’s recorded voice during emergence from anesthesia.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Pediatric Research, 2026 · DOI ↗