TV viewing has analgesic effect during venipuncture in children, reports a MedScape article (free reg req'd, or use Bug Me Not to access) based on a recent study published in Archives of Disease in Childhood. Compared to a mother comforting a child - active distraction - passive distraction with a TV cartoon made the process more comfortable for young 'uns.
Children's self-rated pain levels were 23.04 ± 24.57 in the control group, 17.39 ± 21.36 in the maternal distraction group, and 8.91 ± 8.65 in the television group. The corresponding pain levels rated by the mothers were 21.30 ± 19.9, 23.04 ± 18.39, and 12.17 ± 12.14, Both the mothers' and children's rating scores suggested that procedures performed during television watching were perceived as being less painful than procedures performed during active or no distraction."TV watching was more effective than active distraction," the authors write. "This was due either to the emotional participation of the mothers in the active procedure or to the distracting power of television."
They propose further studies and suggest combining TV with a local anaesthetic cream.
I wonder if watching an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon would produce the same effect, but with Spongebob Squarepants you might be able to administer several vaccinations with kids still smiling. "I'm ready!"
Abstract: Analgesic effect of watching TV during venipuncture. Bellieni et al. (2006). Archives of disease in childhood, 91(12), 1015-.
Comments
Hmm...I'm not sure I'm quite ready to give up on Acetylsalicylic Acid just yet.
However after having been in therapy for mild depression I decided to go 100% cold turkey on all TV watching about a year ago. Maybe it's pure coincidence but I have had a much more positive outlook on life in general ever since.
I also found I have much more time to read, socialize and exercise, go figure.
Just curious any studies out there on the addictive nature of TV as in brain numbing?
Posted by: Fernando Magyar | December 28, 2006 7:12 AM
There are some studies on TV addiction, though not nearly as many as Internet addiction (so-called). Here's an interesting documentary.
"Food for the mind is like food for the body: the inputs are never the same as the outputs." - Marshall McLuhan
Posted by: Sandra | December 28, 2006 4:07 PM
Thanks for the link.
Re: Marshall McLuhan quote, I'm quite picky about the quality of my food. I also like savoring and digesting it slowly. If you swallow too much of it whole you just end up regurgitating it again. Then again that might be the message if the medium happens to be a large vat of fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae, hey it's almost New Years. Cheers!
Posted by: Fernando Magyar | December 28, 2006 8:30 PM
Hey Fernando Magyar, here is an excellent
article on TV addiction in Scientific
American:
"Television Addiction Is No Mere Metaphor"
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=0005339B-A694-1CC5-B4A8809EC588EEDF&pageNumber=1&catID=2
Presumably TV's analgenic effect is caused
by the fact that TV slows the brain waves
down, putting the viewer into a light
dream state.
Also:
"Does Watching TV Make Us Happy?"
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/06/28/1119724635649.html
"TV addicts were found to be more introverted
than non-addicts"
http://www.members.cox.net/dagershaw/lol/TVAddiction.html
TV & Depression
http://www.tvsmarter.com/documents/depression.html
Posted by: Terry | January 6, 2007 2:00 PM
That was a great Simpsons episode. What was this post about again?
Posted by: Organic Chemistry | February 28, 2007 11:33 PM