New research suggests playing games on an iPad helps reduce kids' anxiety before surgery. As many parents know, the secret to getting a child to relax can sometimes mean simply handing them an iPad. Apparently, that move has a scientific basis, too. According to a small new study, giving children who were about to undergo surgery an iPad was as effective at calming them down as giving them a sedative.
The study authors suggest that using electronic tablets could be a way to reduce stress before surgeries without medication. The study size was very small with only 112 kids, but it’s not the first to suggest that distraction through technology could play a role in improved medical experiences. In the report, which was presented at the world congress of anaesthesiologists in Hong Kong, researchers compared the effect of using an iPad to taking a sedative called midazolam on children’s…
