ArticleBMJ open2026
Heart rate variability as a biomarker for autonomic recovery and maternal wellbeing following caesarean delivery: a scoping review protocol.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Vagal pathways and heart rate variability in recovery after caesarean delivery: a framework for multimodal autonomic-immune phenotyping.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionCaesarean delivery accounts for more than 21% of all births worldwide, with rates exceeding 30% in several countries, yet objective physiological markers for monitoring postoperative maternal recovery remain scarce. Heart rate variability (HRV), a non-invasive index of autonomic nervous system integrity, has demonstrated prognostic value in general surgical populations. This scoping review will map the extent, range and nature of evidence on HRV monitoring in caesarean populations within a recovery-assessment framework. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The review follows a Population-Concept-Context framework. The primary population comprises women undergoing elective caesarean delivery, with emergency procedures analysed as a distinct subgroup. The concept covers any validated measurement of HRV parameters (time-domain, frequency-domain and non-linear indices). The context spans the perioperative-to-postpartum continuum, from preoperative baseline through 6 weeks after delivery. Adhering to the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, we will employ a three-step search strategy across PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science. Two independent reviewers will screen records and extract data. Findings will be synthesised narratively and presented via temporal evidence mapping, an evidence gap map, and structured summary tables. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Formal ethics approval is not required because this review exclusively analyses published data. We will disseminate our findings through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presentations at relevant academic conferences.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.