Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 20, 2026
A Quantitative Sensory Testing Paradigm to Obtain Measures of Pain Processing in Patients Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery
Published on: January 18, 2018
Effects of watching cartoons on pain scores in children undergoing venepuncture
Esra Ardahan Akgül1, Yakup Karahan2, Funda Başoğlu2
1Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Pediatric Nursing, İzmir Kâtip Çelebi University, İzmir, Turkey.
Insights
Watching cartoons significantly reduced children's pain and crying duration during venepuncture. This non-pharmacological method offers effective pain relief for pediatric patients undergoing medical procedures.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Pain Management
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Children frequently experience pain and distress during invasive medical procedures.
- Venepuncture is a common yet often distressing procedure for young children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of cartoon viewing on pain perception and crying duration in children aged 3-6 years undergoing venepuncture.
- To assess the efficacy of a non-pharmacological intervention for procedural pain in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 81 children (aged 3-6 years) undergoing venepuncture.
- The experimental group watched cartoons during the procedure, while the control group did not.
- Pain scores and crying duration were measured during and after venepuncture.
Main Results:
- Children who watched cartoons reported significantly lower pain levels post-procedure.
- The cartoon-watching group exhibited significantly shorter crying durations after the procedure and in total.
- No significant difference in crying duration was observed during the venepuncture itself.
Conclusions:
- Cartoon viewing serves as an effective non-pharmacological strategy for pediatric pain relief.
- Distraction through cartoons can reduce children's perceived pain during venepuncture.
- This method offers a safe and accessible approach to managing procedural pain in children.
Background:
Children experience pain and restlessness during invasive procedures.
Aim:
To determine the effect of watching cartoons on pain scores and the duration of crying in children aged 3-6 years undergoing venepuncture.
Method:
The study included 81 children, aged 3-6 years, who presented to the blood collection unit of a teaching and research hospital. The children were divided into an experimental group (n=41) and a control group (n=40). Those in the experimental group watched a cartoon and then venepuncture was initiated. Their pain levels and the duration of crying were assessed during venepuncture. After venepuncture, they continued to watch the cartoons and their pain levels were assessed again. During the process, another researcher calculated the duration of crying. The children in the control group were subjected to the same process but were not shown the cartoon.
Results:
Significant differences in pain levels, duration of crying after the procedure and total duration of crying were found between the groups. There was no significant difference in terms of duration of crying during the procedure.
Conclusion:
Watching cartoons is a non-pharmacological method of pain relief, which reduces perception of pain by distracting a child's attention.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
07:14A Quantitative Sensory Testing Paradigm to Obtain Measures of Pain Processing in Patients Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery
05:42Z-Scores for Assessing Ovarian Reserve in Young Patients Undergoing Fertility Preservation
06:23How Children Solve Problems Using Causal Reasoning
Imagine a young child hears an adult say, “I want to watch the news,” then watches the adult press a button on the remote control. A moment later, the television screen turns on. The next day, the child wants to turn on the television screen to watch cartoons. How does the child know what to do? Is it enough to say, “I want to watch cartoons,” or is pushing the button on the...
05:32Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos
07:01Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
09:00Quantifying Pain Location and Intensity with Multimodal Pain Body Diagrams