The Effect of Watching Cat Videos on Non-Stress Test Results And Stress Parameters in Pregnant Women

February 9, 2026 updated by: Rukiye Duman, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

The Effect of Watching Cat Videos on Maternal Stress and Fetal Well-being: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Pregnancy is a period in which women are physiologically and psychologically vulnerable, and the stress experienced can affect both maternal mental health and fetal well-being. The non-stress test (NST), used to assess fetal health in the final weeks of pregnancy, can cause anxiety in some women because it requires the mother to remain supine and immobile for extended periods. Prolonged testing or non-reactive results can also increase this stress. Therefore, simple methods are needed to reduce stress during NST. Humorous and cute content, especially animal videos, is known to promote positive emotions and psychological relaxation. This study evaluated the effects of watching cat videos during NST on stress levels and fetal physiological parameters in primiparous pregnant women.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Pregnancy is a sensitive period during which women experience a variety of changes, both physiologically and psychologically. Stress factors encountered during this period can negatively impact the mother's mental health and fetal well-being. Non-stress testing (NST) is a non-invasive screening method frequently performed in the final weeks of pregnancy to assess fetal health. However, during the NST, the mother lies motionless in a supine position for approximately 20 minutes, during which time she attempts to obtain sufficient data on the baby's heart rate and movements, which can cause stress and anxiety in some women. A prolonged duration or a non-reactive test result can be a cause for concern. Therefore, simple and effective methods are needed to reduce maternal stress during the NST. Humorous and cute content, especially animal videos, are known to evoke positive emotions and provide psychological relief in viewers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of watching a cat video during the NST procedure on stress parameters and fetal physiological parameters in primiparous pregnant women.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

50

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant women who are primiparous,
  • Able to communicate in Turkish,
  • In their 34th-40th weeks of pregnancy,
  • Have no problems that would prevent them from viewing visual or auditory materials,
  • Have the cognitive ability to understand interactive video content,
  • Have not engaged in physical exercise for at least 2 hours prior to fetal heart rate monitoring will be included in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant women with multiple pregnancies,
  • Uterine contractions detected during NST,
  • Diagnosed with a high-risk pregnancy (preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, placenta previa, etc.),
  • A phobia of cats (ailurophobia),
  • Pregnant women who became pregnant using assisted reproductive technologies (ART),
  • Have a history of a diagnosed endocrinological (e.g., hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Cushing's syndrome) or psychiatric (e.g., anxiety disorder, depression) disease will be excluded from the study.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention group
Behavioral: Group watching cat videos
The cat video, which will be shown to pregnant women as part of the study, will be implemented as an intervention to reduce participants' stress levels during the NST. The NST session takes approximately 20 minutes, and the video will be played for this duration. The content of the video will be carefully selected to create a relaxing and entertaining effect on the audience. Participants will begin watching the video immediately after connecting to the NST device and will continue to watch throughout the NST. This process aims to calm participants, reduce stress levels, and promote overall relaxation.
Experimental: Control Group
Participants randomly assigned to the control group will also rest in a private room for 10 minutes, after which all initial measurements will be taken. A routine NST will then be performed.
Behavioral: Non-Video Watching Group
Participants randomly assigned to the control group will also rest for 10 minutes in a private room and all initial measurements will be taken.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The effect of watching cat videos on stress parameters in pregnant women
Time Frame: This procedure will be performed during the NST for pregnant women experiencing their first pregnancy and who are between weeks 34 and 40 of gestation.
Participants randomly assigned to the intervention group will be taken to a designated room determined by the researcher before the NST for their initial measurements. The "Pregnant Women Demographic Information Form" and the "State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI Form TX-1)" will be administered. Blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, cortisol, and ACTH levels will be measured. All physiological measurements except ACTH and cortisol will be performed at three time points: before the NST (2 minutes before start), in the middle of the NST (approximately 10 minutes), and after the NST (2 minutes after completion). The "State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI Form TX-1)" will also be administered after the NST. Following the NST, satisfaction levels will also be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS).
This procedure will be performed during the NST for pregnant women experiencing their first pregnancy and who are between weeks 34 and 40 of gestation.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The effect of watching cat videos on physiological parameters of the fetus
Time Frame: This procedure will be performed during the NST for pregnant women experiencing their first pregnancy and who are between weeks 34 and 40 of gestation.
Participants randomly assigned to the intervention group will be taken to a designated room determined by the researcher before the NST for their initial measurements. The fetal heart rate and reactivity will be assessed using the NST device. To determine fetal well-being, the Non-Stress Test-Baseline, Non-Stress Test-Variability, Non-Stress Test-Acceleration, and Non-Stress Test-Deceleration numbers will be examined.
This procedure will be performed during the NST for pregnant women experiencing their first pregnancy and who are between weeks 34 and 40 of gestation.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

January 25, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

February 2, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

February 5, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 8, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 31, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

January 12, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 11, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 9, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IstanbulUC-EBE-RD-02

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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