HEALTH & SCIENCE
The sound of music and other techniques to help kids deal
with pain at the doctor's office
Extracted from The Washington Post
By Jill U. Adams, Published: September 16 in http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/healthscience/
the-sound-of-music-and-other-techniques-to-help-kids-deal-with-pain-at-the-doctorsoffice/
2013/09/16/41ab9f4a-14b2-11e3-880b-7503237cc69dstory.html?hpid=z6
[1] I remember the appointment vividly. My infant daughter waited unknowingly for the
shots; my 2-year-old son, worried, began to sing her favourite song. My son and I got
our faces up close and touched my daughter's hands and belly while the doctor
administered the immunizations in her thigh. Baby Audrey winced momentarily, then
returned to smiling as she gazed up at us. I was amazed, and my son felt empowered.
[2] It turns out that there's science to support our actions. A growing body of research
shows what many parents know instinctively: Music is an effective way to distract
young children from painful medical procedures.
[3] “It's one more tool we have in our handbag to help
children,” said Lisa Hartling, director of the Alberta
Research Center for Health Evidence in Canada,
who has studied the role of music in mitigating
medical-procedure stress in kids.
[4] Hartling co-authored a study this year that
measured the effect of recorded music during the
insertion of an intravenous line. Researchers
monitored pain and distress in 42 children, ages 3
to 11, before and after the procedure. Half received
standard emergency room care; the other half
listened to musical selections played via room
speakers. The IV insertion was distressing to all
kids, but researchers observed twice as many signs
of distress in kids who weren't exposed to music as
in those who were. Pain, as reported by the kids,
increased with the procedure in those who didn't
have the music, but remained low in those who did.
[5] Not just any music will do the trick, according to Hartling. The purpose is to distract
rather than soothe, she explains, and booming, complicated music is most effective at
this. One piece used in the study was “Jupiter” from the symphony “The Planets.” “It's
very energetic, with lots of sounds and themes,” Hartling says.
[6] Other useful techniques include storytelling, guided imagery (talking to kids about a
special place or event), blowing soap bubbles and, not surprisingly, tablet games.
Sipping sugar water, sitting in parents' laps and deep breathing can also help mitigate
children's pain in the doctor's office or the emergency room.
[7] Such distractions might require a rethinking of the doctor visit.
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