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Music can make the emergency room seem less scary for children

Music eases children’s pain and distress while in hospital

Natural Health News — A simple intervention of playing music can decreases children’s perceived sense of pain during a visit to the the emergency department.

Writing in the journal JAMA Pediatrics the Canadian researchers report on a trial of 42 children between the ages of 3 and 11 who,  between January 2009 and March 2010, came to the pediatric emergency department at the Stollery Children’s Hospital and needed IVs.

Some of the children listened to music while getting an IV, while others did not. Researchers measured the children’s distress, perceived pain levels and heart rates, as well as satisfaction levels of parents, and satisfaction levels of health-care providers who administered the IVs.

“We did find a difference in the children’s reported pain – the children in the music group had less pain immediately after the procedure,” says lead researcher Lisa Hartling. “The finding is clinically important and it’s a simple intervention that can make a big difference. Playing music for kids during painful medical procedures would be an inexpensive and easy-to-use intervention in clinical settings.”

Less pain and distress

The research showed that the children who listened to music reported significantly less pain, some demonstrated significantly less distress, and the children’s parents were more satisfied with care.

In the music listening group, 76% of health-care providers said the IVs were very easy to administer – a markedly higher number than the non-music group where only 38% of health-care providers said the procedure was very easy. Researchers also noticed that the children who had been born premature experienced more distress overall.

Hartling and her team hope to continue their research in this area, to see if music or other distractions can make a big difference for kids undergoing other painful medical procedures. The pain and distress from medical procedures can have “long-lasting negative effects” for children, note the researchers.

“There is growing scientific evidence showing that the brain responds to music and different types of music in very specific ways,” said Hartling. “So additional research into how and why music may be a better distraction from pain could help advance this field.”

The study noted that previous research has shown that the mood of the music, whether it has lyrics, and whether it is familiar to the listener could have an impact on pain perception as well.