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Randomized clinical trial of distraction for infant immunization pain
Lindsey L Cohen1, Jill E MacLaren, Beverly L Fortson
1Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA. llcohen@gsu.edu
Insights
Movie distraction effectively reduced immunization distress in infants. This simple intervention helped infants cope with vaccination pain, showing promise for pediatric pain management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Pain Management
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Distraction is a proven pain management technique for children.
- Limited research exists on distraction's effectiveness in infants.
- Infant immunization is a common source of acute pain and distress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of movie distraction in mitigating immunization-related distress in infants.
- To compare infant distress levels between a distraction group and a typical care group.
Main Methods:
- 136 infants (1-21 months) and their parents were recruited for routine vaccinations.
- Participants were randomized into a distraction group (movie) or a typical care control group.
- Infant and adult behaviors were assessed using visual analog scales and behavioral observation.
Main Results:
- Parents in the distraction group used distraction techniques more frequently than the control group.
- Infants in the distraction group exhibited significantly less distress before, during, and after the injection compared to the control group.
- No significant difference was observed in nurse behavior between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Movie distraction is a practical and effective method for reducing infant distress during vaccinations.
- This intervention offers a simple approach to enhance infant comfort during routine pediatric procedures.
- Findings support the integration of simple distraction techniques in pediatric pain management protocols.
Abstract:
Distraction has been shown to be an effective technique for managing pain in children; however, few investigations have examined the utility of this technique with infants. The goal of the current study was to investigate the effectiveness of movie distraction in reducing infants' immunization distress. Participants were 136 infants (range=1-21 months; M=7.6 months, SD=5.0 months) and their parents, all of whom were recruited when presenting for routine vaccinations. The parent-child dyads were randomly assigned to either a Distraction or Typical Care control condition. Infant and adult behaviors were assessed using a visual analog scale and a behavioral observation rating scale. Results indicated parents in the Distraction group engaged in higher rates of distraction than those in the Typical Care group, whereas there was no difference in the behavior of nurses in the Distraction and Typical Care groups. In addition, infants in the Distraction group displayed fewer distress behaviors than infants in the Typical Care group both prior to and during recovery from the injection. Findings suggest that a simple and practical distraction intervention can provide some distress relief to infants during routine injections.
