Effectiveness of Watching Cartoons in Reducing Pain in Children Receiving Vaccine Injection: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract

Background: Vaccination is a highly effective method for preventing a variety of infectious diseases; however, the pain associated with vaccination in children is often overlooked. This study primarily aims to explore whether watching cartoons can reduce the pain experienced by children during vaccine injection.

Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 72 children aged 1 to 6 years were recruited with parental consent. Participants were randomly assigned to either the cartoon group or the control group. The cartoon group watched a preferred cartoon video on a tablet for 10 min before and during the vaccination procedure. In contrast, the control group had a tablet screen on without cartoon for the same duration. The vaccination process was video-recorded for objective analysis. The primary outcome, pain intensity, was measured using the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (FLACC) scale, which evaluates children's pain based on observable behaviors.

Results: Children in the cartoon group exhibited significantly lower FLACC scores compared to the control group. The mean FLACC score for the cartoon group was 2.40 ± 2.05, compared to 7.10 ± 2.35 for the control group, with a highly significant difference (p < 0.001; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.66-5.73).

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that watching a preferred cartoon video can significantly alleviate pain during the vaccination process, thereby reducing discomfort in young children. This finding suggests that watching cartoons is a simple, effective method to mitigate vaccination-related pain and improve the overall vaccination experience for children.

Trial registration: Registration number: ChiCTR2400088897.