Watching TV can be a natural anaesthetic for kids

The next time you have to take a child to the doctors for an injection, think about asking them to put the TV on. Researchers in Italy have found that watching television can be a form of natural anaesthetic for children.

The findings came when the University of Siena watched as 69 children aged between seven and 12 gave blood samples. Some of the children were distracted by their mother, others were given no distractions and the remaining kids were allowed to watch cartoons.

The children were then asked to register the level of pain they felt. Those who were allowed to watch television registered a third the level of pain as those children who were given no distraction. They also experienced significantly less pain than the kids who were comforted by their mothers.

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