An interventional study of Mothers' Heartbeat Intervention in Anxiety, Stress and Experience, sponsored by Mervi Hakala. Completed at 1 site in Finland. Open to female participants. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-20.
Sponsored by Mervi Hakala · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
Neonatal jaundice is a common condition among newborns and may require phototherapy during the early postnatal period. Although phototherapy is an effective treatment for hyperbilirubinemia, it may be associated with maternal stress, anxiety, concern and disruption of closeness between the mother and newborn. This mixed methods feasibility study evaluates a mothers' heartbeat intervention designed to support maternal well-being and newborn comfort during phototherapy in a maternity ward setting.
The intervention uses a multisensory sleep pad placed under the newborn's mattress during phototherapy. At the beginning of the intervention, each mother's heartbeat, breathing sounds and chest vibrations are recorded and transferred to the pad. During phototherapy, the newborn can hear and feel these individually recorded maternal sounds and vibrations while lying on the mattress. The intervention is intended to provide womb-like auditory and tactile stimulation and to promote calmness, comfort and a sense of closeness during treatment.
The study includes mothers whose term newborns require phototherapy for jaundice at a maternity ward in Finland. A total of 40 mothers and newborns are included: 20 in the intervention group and 20 in the control group. Data are collected before and after phototherapy. Maternal outcomes include anxiety, stress and experience of phototherapy. The feasibility, usability and acceptability of the intervention are assessed among mothers in the intervention group. In addition, semi-structured interviews are conducted to explore mothers' experiences of successful factors related to the intervention.
The primary purpose of this feasibility study is to evaluate whether the mothers' heartbeat intervention is acceptable, usable and feasible in a maternity ward during newborn phototherapy. The study also examines preliminary effects on maternal anxiety, maternal stress and mothers' experiences of phototherapy. The findings will be used to inform the planning of a future larger randomized controlled trial.
Neonatal jaundice is one of the most common conditions requiring treatment during the early postnatal period. Phototherapy is an effective and widely used treatment for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, but the treatment situation may be stressful for mothers. During phototherapy, the newborn may need to remain under phototherapy lights or on a phototherapy blanket for prolonged periods, which may limit normal closeness, skin-to-skin contact and uninterrupted interaction between the mother and newborn. Mothers may experience stress, anxiety, concern and uncertainty related to their newborn's condition, treatment procedures and the need to maintain effective phototherapy exposure.
This mixed methods feasibility study evaluates a mothers' heartbeat intervention during newborn phototherapy in a maternity ward setting. The intervention is designed to provide individually recorded maternal auditory and tactile stimulation to the newborn during phototherapy and to support maternal well-being, newborn comfort and maternal-newborn closeness. The intervention uses a multisensory sleep pad placed under the newborn's mattress. At the beginning of the intervention, the mother's heartbeat, breathing sounds and chest vibrations are recorded. These individually recorded maternal sounds and vibrations are transferred to the sleep pad. During phototherapy, the newborn can hear and feel the mother's recorded heartbeat, breathing sounds and vibrations while lying on the mattress.
The intervention is intended to create womb-like auditory and tactile stimulation and to provide a familiar maternal sensory environment during treatment. The newborn receives usual phototherapy care according to standard clinical practice, and the mothers' heartbeat intervention is used as an additional supportive intervention. The newborn remains in phototherapy as much as possible to achieve the intended treatment effect, and usual care activities such as feeding, diaper changing and drying are carried out according to normal maternity ward routines.
The study is conducted as a mixed methods feasibility study with a quasi-experimental pilot design and qualitative interviews. A total of 40 mothers and their term newborns requiring phototherapy for jaundice are included. The intervention group includes 20 mothers and newborns who receive the mothers' heartbeat intervention in addition to usual phototherapy care. The control group includes 20 mothers and newborns who receive usual phototherapy care only. Data are collected in two consecutive periods from June 2024 to January 2025 in a university hospital maternity ward in Finland.
The study population consists of mothers whose newborns are born at 37+0 to 41+6 gestational weeks and require phototherapy for jaundice during postnatal care in the maternity ward. Phototherapy is provided in a normal patient room or family room where the mother or parents room-in with the newborn. Phototherapy may be delivered using a Bilisoft Blanket, overhead phototherapy lights or both, according to clinical need and standard care.
The feasibility, usability and acceptability of the mothers' heartbeat intervention are assessed among mothers in the intervention group using the System Usability Scale after phototherapy. Maternal anxiety is measured before and after phototherapy using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, state anxiety form. Maternal stress is measured before and after phototherapy using a verbal rating scale for stress. Mothers' experience of phototherapy is assessed after phototherapy using a numerical rating scale. In addition, mothers in the intervention group participate in semi-structured interviews after phototherapy to explore their experiences of the successful factors related to the intervention.
The primary purpose of this feasibility study is to evaluate whether the mothers' heartbeat intervention is feasible, usable and acceptable in a maternity ward setting during newborn phototherapy. The study also examines preliminary effects on maternal anxiety, maternal stress and mothers' experiences of phototherapy. Qualitative interview data are used to provide a deeper understanding of how mothers experience the intervention, including its perceived calming effects, user-friendliness and role as a facilitating element during phototherapy.
The findings from this feasibility study will inform the development and planning of a future larger randomized controlled trial. The study may provide preliminary evidence on whether a simple, non-invasive and individually tailored sensory intervention can support mothers and newborns during phototherapy and improve the care experience in maternity ward settings.
7,201 studies on the registry are indexed under Anxiety Disorders; 1,682 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 40 is below the median of 80 across 6,057 interventional studies indexed under Anxiety Disorders.
Browse Anxiety Disorders studies →This is the only study on the registry with Mervi Hakala as lead sponsor.
Compared within Anxiety Disorders, the registry's first condition term, which may not be this study's main condition. Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily. How we classify →
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Mothers are excluded if any of the following criteria apply:
Newborns are excluded if any of the following criteria apply:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants in this arm receive the mothers' heartbeat intervention in addition to usual phototherapy care. The intervention uses a multisensory Nucu Pad placed under the newborn's mattress. Each mother's heartbeat, breathing sounds and chest vibrations are recorded and transferred to the pad. During phototherapy, the newborn can hear and feel the mother's recorded heartbeat, breathing sounds and vibrations while lying on the mattress.
Device: Mothers' Heartbeat Intervention
Participants in this arm receive usual phototherapy care only according to standard maternity ward practice. Phototherapy may be provided using a Bilisoft Blanket, overhead phototherapy lights or both, according to clinical need.
The mothers' heartbeat intervention consists of individually recorded maternal heartbeat, breathing sounds and chest vibrations delivered to the newborn through a multisensory Nucu Pad placed under the mattress during phototherapy. The intervention is used in addition to usual phototherapy care.
Feasibility, usability and acceptability of the mothers' heartbeat intervention
Feasibility, usability and acceptability of the mothers' heartbeat intervention are assessed among mothers in the intervention group using the System Usability Scale (SUS). The SUS includes 10 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree". The total SUS score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better usability and acceptability.
Time frame: After completion of phototherapy, approximately 24 hours after the start of phototherapy
Maternal anxiety
Maternal anxiety is assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, state anxiety form (STAI-Y1). The measure includes 20 items assessing the mother's current anxiety. Scores range from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating higher anxiety. Anxiety is classified as low, moderate or high according to the total score.
Time frame: Baseline -Before phototherapy
Maternal stress
Maternal stress is assessed using a verbal rating scale for stress (VRSS). Mothers rate their stress on a 0-5 scale ranging from "I did not feel any stress at all" to "I felt the worst stress I can think of". Higher scores indicate higher perceived stress.
Time frame: Baseline -Before phototherapy
Maternal experience of phototherapy
Mothers evaluate their overall experience of newborn phototherapy using a numerical rating scale (NRS) from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates a very negative experience and 10 indicates a very positive experience. Higher scores indicate a more positive phototherapy experience.
Time frame: After completion of phototherapy, approximately 24 hours after the start of phototherapy
Maternal anxiety
Maternal anxiety is assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, state anxiety form (STAI-Y1). The measure includes 20 items assessing the mother's current anxiety. Scores range from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating higher anxiety. Anxiety is classified as low, moderate or high according to the total score.
Time frame: After completion of phototherapy, approximately 24 hours after the start of phototherapy.
Maternal stress
Maternal stress is assessed using a verbal rating scale for stress (VRSS). Mothers rate their stress on a 0-5 scale ranging from "I did not feel any stress at all" to "I felt the worst stress I can think of". Higher scores indicate higher perceived stress.
Time frame: After completion of phototherapy, approximately 24 hours after the start of phototherapy
Mothers' experiences of successful factors related to the intervention
Mothers in the intervention group participate in semi-structured interviews after newborn phototherapy. The interviews explore mothers' experiences of successful factors related to the mothers' heartbeat intervention, including perceived calming effects, user-friendliness and the role of the intervention as a facilitating element during phototherapy.
Time frame: After completion of phototherapy, approximately 24 hours after the start of phototherapy
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data will not be shared because the study includes a small sample of mothers and newborns and contains sensitive maternal and neonatal health-related data. The qualitative interview data may include contextual information that could increase the risk of participant identification, even after anonymization.
This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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