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Can a storybook calm kids before surgery?

NCT ID NCT07812272

Symptom relief Sponsor: Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 10, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Many children feel scared before surgery, and that anxiety can make the experience harder. This trial tests whether a specially written children's book, read at home, can lower that fear. Researchers will randomly assign 50 children aged 4 to 10 who are having hernia surgery to either receive the book or get standard preparation. They will measure anxiety before anesthesia using an established scale.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
a children's storybook designed to prepare kids for surgery
What this could lead to
If the book helps, hospitals could hand it out routinely to prepare children for surgery, a low-cost way to ease a common fear.
What could go wrong
This is a small, single-center study of 50 children, so the results may not hold up in larger or more diverse groups. A book may not be enough for children with severe anxiety.

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

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

About 50 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Nov 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Apr 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

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

4 to 10 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show 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: * Children aged 4 to 10 years at the time of surgery * Scheduled for elective surgical intervention (inguinal hernia, umbilical hernia, epigastric or supraumbilical hernia) * Understanding of the German language * Written informed consent obtained from at least one parent or legal guardian Exclusion Criteria: * Emergency surgical procedures * History of previous surgery * Less than 7 days between randomization and surgical procedure * Known developmental delay, cognitive impairment, or psychiatric disorder that may interfere with anxiety assessment

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As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Children behavior Pediatric anesthesia Pediatric surgery Perioperative anxiety Perioperative care

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Children's Hospital, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern

    Bern, Canton of Bern, 3010, Switzerland

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