VR headsets may boost breast milk in preemie moms
NCT ID NCT07336186
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether using virtual reality (VR) for relaxation helps mothers of premature babies produce more breast milk and feel more confident about breastfeeding. Forty-four first-time mothers with babies in the NICU used a VR headset showing calming nature scenes and music before expressing milk. The study compared their milk volume and confidence scores to mothers who received standard care.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Virtual reality relaxation
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to help mothers of premature infants boost milk production and breastfeeding confidence.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with only 44 participants, so results may not apply to all mothers. The effect may be modest or not last 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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44 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2023
- Finished
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Oct 2024
- 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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18 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- 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: * Mothers who have given birth to a single infant between 32 and 35 weeks of gestation. * Mothers whose infants are hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). * Mothers who have delivered via Cesarean section. * First-time mothers (Primiparous). * Mothers who are willing to provide breast milk and participate in the study. * Mothers whose infants are not yet able to breastfeed directly and require milk expression. Exclusion Criteria: * Mothers with any systemic or psychiatric diseases. * Mothers with obstetric complications. * Mothers who have a history of using addictive substances. * Mothers who use medications or herbal products to increase breast milk (galactagogues). * Mothers with hearing or vision impairments that would prevent the use of a VR headset. * Mothers whose infants have congenital anomalies.
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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
-
Kocaeli University
Kocaeli, İzmit, 41001, Turkey (Türkiye)
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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