The effect of music on the results of a non-stress test: A non-randomized controlled clinical trial

Abstract

Introduction: The non-stress test (NST) is one of the most commonly used tests to assess foetal well-being because of its high sensitivity, fast implementation, and ambulatory use. This study was conducted to determine the effect of music played to pregnant women during the non-stress test on the test result.

Methods: A non-randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted in the NST polyclinic from March 3, to June 25, 2013. The population of the study included women who had applied to the NST polyclinic, had experienced a minimum of one live birth, had previously undergone the NST, and whose gestational week was >= 33. The sample comprised 96 pregnant women who met the study criteria. Pregnant women visiting the NST polyclinic on Mondays were included in the experimental group, while those visiting on Wednesdays were included in the control group. A Participant Introductory Form and NST Findings Registry Form were used for data collection. The data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, t-test for independent groups, chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test.

Results: The study revealed that the experimental group felt happier/more comfortable than the control group (p < .05). In addition, averages of foetal movement numbers, acceleration numbers, and reactive NST results in the experimental group were higher than the control group (p < .05). The experimental group had a higher reactive NST result than the control group (p < .05). The results of this study did not suggest a significant difference in the average heart rate of the experimental and control groups (p > .05).

Conclusion: Our study findings demonstrate that music played to pregnant women during NST increases foetal movement and acceleration numbers and leads them to experience more positive feelings during the test.