Criteria for considering studies for this review
Inclusion criteria were all randomized controlled trials (RCT) with a parallel group, crossover or cluster design that included pediatric patients from 1 month to 18 years old undergoingminimally invasive or invasive surgical procedures. Studies were only included if patients
received the music intervention before, during or after the surgical procedure and if outcomes
were measured during or after the surgical procedure. Studies were only included if the control
group received standard care, no music or another intervention. Music interventions could be
live music therapy offered by a music therapist or recorded music.
Exclusion criteria were studies on multimodal interventions, in which music is offered in
combination with other therapies such as massage. Excluded were studies on non-invasive surgery,
neonates, adults, dental and ophthalmological surgical patients, non-randomized trials,
papers not written in English, and narrative reviews. Auditory stimuli produced by nonhuman
agents such as nature sounds or sounds like fixated beeps were excluded. Studies that
performed the intervention pre-operatively and only measured outcomes prior to surgery were
also excluded