Active and passive distraction using a head-mounted display helmet: effects on cold pressor pain in children.

OBJECTIVE: The current study tested the effectiveness of interactive versus passive distraction that was delivered via a virtual reality type head-mounted display helmet for children experiencing cold pressor pain. DESIGN: Forty children, aged 5 to 13 years, underwent 1 or 2 baseline cold pressor trials followed by interactive distraction and passive distraction trials in counterbalanced order. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pain threshold and pain tolerance. RESULTS: Children who experienced either passive or interactive distraction demonstrated significant improvements in both pain tolerance and pain threshold relative to their baseline scores. In contrast, children who underwent a second cold pressor trial without distraction showed no significant improvements in pain tolerance or threshold. CONCLUSION: Although both distraction conditions were effective, the interactive distraction condition was significantly more effective. Implications for the treatment of children's distress during painful medical procedures are discussed.

The impact of food allergy on the daily activities of children and their families.

BACKGROUND: Food allergy affects a significant number of children, and its management requires considerable time and vigilance. OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of food allergy on the daily activities of food allergic children and their families. METHODS: Caregivers of food allergic children from a university-based allergy practice completed a questionnaire that evaluated their perception of the impact of their child's food allergy on family activities. RESULTS: Of the 87 families who completed the study, more than 60% of caregivers reported that food allergy significantly affected meal preparation and 49% or more indicated that food allergy affected family social activities. Forty-one percent of parents reported a significant impact on their stress levels and 34% reported that food allergy had an impact on school attendance, with 10% choosing to home school their children because of food allergy. The number of food allergies had a significant impact on activity scores, but the existence of comorbid conditions such as asthma and atopic dermatitis did not significantly affect the results. CONCLUSIONS: Food allergy has a significant effect on activities of families of food allergic children. Further study is needed to determine more detailed effects of food allergy on parent-child interactions and development.