Journal of pediatric health care : official publication of National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates & Practitioners
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J Pediatr Health Care · Sep 2013
Review Comparative StudyEvaluation of methods to relieve parental perceptions of vaccine-associated pain and anxiety in children: a pilot study.
The pain and anxiety associated with vaccination is a significant reason why parents are reluctant to have their children vaccinated. Distraction methods and vapocoolant sprays may be use to modify the parent's perceptions of their child's pain and anxiety, thus encouraging parents to return for the child's next vaccination. ⋯ Although quantitative results were not statistically significant in this pilot study, parents commented that the DVD distraction method seemed helpful before and/or after vaccination, but not during vaccination, and parents appreciated the distraction. Parents, however, would prefer to choose the intervention rather than being randomly assigned to a group. The effectiveness of interventions with regard to parental perceptions of pain or anxiety warrants further study.