Cellphone Access for Lowered Maternal Anxiety and Stress in Cesarean Sections

NCT07759726 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: IRB-Aug2024-XII
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 82
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study looks at whether allowing mothers to use their personal cellphone during a planned cesarean section (C-section) under spinal anesthesia can reduce stress and anxiety and improve their overall birth experience. During a cesarean section under spinal anesthesia, the mother is awake, which can sometimes cause feelings of anxiety or stress. Women taking part in this study will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will be allowed to use their cellphone freely during the surgery, while the other group will follow the usual hospital practice, which does not allow cellphone use in the operating room. All medical care, anesthesia, and surgical procedures will be exactly the same for both groups. The study will measure mothers' anxiety levels before surgery, during the operation, and within 24 hours after delivery using simple questionnaires. Mothers will also be asked about their satisfaction with their birth experience. In addition, the study will assess stress levels of a close family member (such as a partner) shortly after the delivery. Participation in this study is voluntary and involves minimal risk. Allowing or not allowing cellphone use does not affect medical care in any way, and participants may withdraw at any time without any impact on their treatment. The results of this study may help hospitals improve patient-centered care and make cesarean deliveries a calmer and more positive experience for mothers and their families.

Conditions

Anxiety; Stress (Psychology)

Keywords

Cesarean Section; Spinal Anesthesia; Anxiety; Satisfaction; Cellphone; Mobile Phone; Non-Pharmacological Intervention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Maternal Anxiety Levels During Elective Cesarean Section

  Maternal anxiety will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale for Anxiety (VAS-A). Anxiety scores will be measured at predefined perioperative timepoints to evaluate the effect of unrestricted personal cellphone use during elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety. The primary comparison will assess differences in anxiety levels between the intervention and control groups.

  Preoperative (upon admission to the operating room), intraoperative (before and after delivery of the baby, and before skin closure), and postoperative (within 24 hours after cesarean section)

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Maternal Postoperative Satisfaction

  Within 24 hours after cesarean section

• Next of Kin Stress Levels

  Within 2 hours after cesarean section

Study Arms (2)

Cell Phone Use

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants assigned to this experimental arm will be allowed unrestricted use of their personal mobile phone during elective cesarean section performed under spinal anesthesia. Cellphone use is permitted throughout the intraoperative period and may include texting, voice or video calls, provided that use does not interfere with surgical sterility, patient monitoring, or clinical care. All anesthetic, surgical, and perioperative management will otherwise follow standard institutional protocols and will be identical to the control arm.

Behavioral: Cell Phone Use

Standard Care (No Cellphone Use)

NO INTERVENTION

Participants assigned to this control arm will undergo elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia following standard operating room protocol, which does not allow access to personal mobile phones during the procedure. No communication with family members or next of kin will occur during the intraoperative period. All anesthetic, surgical, and perioperative care will be provided according to routine institutional practice and will be identical to that of the experimental arm, with the only difference being the absence of cellphone use.

Interventions

Cell Phone Use BEHAVIORAL

Participants assigned to this experimental arm will be allowed unrestricted use of their personal mobile phone during elective cesarean section performed under spinal anesthesia. Cellphone use is permitted throughout the intraoperative period and may include texting, voice or video calls, provided that use does not interfere with surgical sterility, patient monitoring, or clinical care. All anesthetic, surgical, and perioperative management will otherwise follow standard institutional protocols and will be identical to the control arm.

Cell Phone Use

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Low-risk pregnant patients scheduled for Cesarean section under spinal anesthesia, who are literate and able to provide an informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• Patients undergoing normal vaginal deliveries.
• Patients who underwent emergency Cesarean sections.
• Non-Lebanese patients.
• High-risk pregnancies, as determined by medical assessment.
• Patients diagnosed with pre-existing anxiety disorders.
• Patients for whom spinal anesthesia was difficult to perform (requiring more than two attempts for successful administration).
• Patients receiving sedation during the procedure.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Beirut Arab University: lead
• Hammoud Hospital University Medical Center: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Hammoud Hospital University Medical Center (HHUMC)

Sidon, Lebanon

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders; Personal Satisfaction

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders; Behavior

Study Officials

• Bahaa W Bou Dargham, md

  Hammoud Hospital University Medical Center

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: Study statistician.
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Anesthesia & Reanimation Consultant / Lecturer of Anesthesia

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 5, 2026
• First Posted: August 12, 2026
• Study Start: January 1, 2026
• Primary Completion: June 1, 2026
• Study Completion: June 1, 2026
• Last Updated: August 12, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

LE (1)