Sand play soothes kids before surgery, study finds
NCT ID NCT07433296
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether letting children play with sand before a tonsillectomy could lower their anxiety and pain. Sixty-eight kids aged 7 to 10 were split into two groups: one did sand play, the other got standard care. Researchers measured anxiety before surgery and pain afterward using child-friendly scales.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Sand play therapy (a behavioral intervention where children play with sand before surgery)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to help children feel less anxious before surgery and have less pain afterward.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed study with only 68 children, so results may not apply to all kids or surgeries. The effect on pain was measured right after surgery, not long-term.
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
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68 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2024
- Finished
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Jul 2025
- 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
-
7 to 10 years
- Sex
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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 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 * Children aged between 7 and 10 years * Scheduled for tonsillectomy surgery * Able to communicate verbally * No visual, hearing, or cognitive impairment Exclusion criteria * History of previous surgery * Diagnosed neurological or developmental disorders * Presence of chronic disease * Postoperative physiological instability
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Samsun Training and Research Hospital
Samsun, Samsun, 55090, Turkey (Türkiye)
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