Could a sweet sip before surgery ease Children's fears?
NCT ID NCT07686029
First seen Jul 06, 2026 · Last updated Jul 07, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether giving children a sugary drink (maltodextrin) two hours before surgery can reduce their anxiety and improve recovery. Children aged 3 to 17 having day surgery will receive either the sugary drink or a plain drink like water or tea. Researchers will measure anxiety, pain, and how quickly children are ready to go home.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- maltodextrin clear liquid
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, safe way to reduce children's anxiety before surgery and speed up their recovery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study, so results may not be conclusive. The sugary drink might not reduce anxiety or improve outcomes compared to plain water.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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3 to 17 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Pediatric patients aged 3 to 17 years * Patients undergoing elective surgery in a day surgery setting * Surgical procedure duration less than 60 minutes * Written informed consent signed by a parent or legal guardian Exclusion Criteria: * Maltodextrin intake within 3 hours before surgery * Allergy or intolerance to maltodextrins * Diabetes mellitus or other metabolic disorders potentially affecting study variables * Inadequate nutritional status based on body mass index (BMI) * Absence of signed informed consent by parent or legal guardian
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo
RECRUITINGAlessandria, Piedmont, 15121, Italy
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