Giving toys to children reduces their anxiety about receiving premedication for surgery

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Anesthesiology
• Child Psychology
• Medical Interventions

Background:

• Preoperative anxiety is common in children, impacting their experience and cooperation.
• Administering oral premedication to children often faces resistance due to fear and apprehension.
• Effective strategies are needed to mitigate anxiety during this critical period.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of providing a small toy as an intervention to decrease preoperative anxiety in children.
• To assess the impact of a toy on children's willingness to accept oral premedication.
• To evaluate a novel, non-pharmacological approach to managing pediatric preoperative anxiety.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 100 children aged 3-6 years.
• Participants were randomized into two equal groups: one receiving a toy, the other not.
• Anxiety levels were measured using the Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale before oral midazolam administration.

Main Results:

• Children who received a toy prior to oral midazolam administration exhibited significantly lower anxiety levels.
• The intervention demonstrated a measurable positive effect on reducing anxiety associated with premedication.
• Providing a toy proved to be an effective strategy in this pediatric cohort.

Conclusions:

• Offering a small toy is a simple yet effective method for reducing preoperative anxiety in children undergoing medical procedures.
• This non-pharmacological intervention can improve the administration of oral premedication and enhance the overall patient experience.
• Further research could explore this strategy in different age groups and procedural contexts.