Hospitals can be scary places for children, especially if they need surgery. Even if they’re used to the beeping machines and tubes, many kids become uneasy when it comes to anesthesia.
“Many young patients become anxious when an anesthesia mask is placed over their face in the operating room,” Abby Hess, a doctor of nursing practice at Cincinnati Children’s, said in a press release. “I wanted to find a way to help kids feel calmer during this high-anxiety moment.”
That’s why Hess created a video game to help young patients relax. The game uses the child’s controlled breathing into a mask to move cartoon animals on their tablet.
Kids ages 10 and younger often receive anesthesia through a mask, the hospital told WLWT.
“It’s common for children to resist the anesthesia mask, despite the best efforts of medical professionals and parents to prepare the child,” WLWT reported.
By breathing through the mask, the patients can win challenges in the game.
“The game shifts the focus from something scary to something that’s calming and fun,” Hess told WLWT. “It easily engages kids, teaches them to breathe calmly, and lets them know what to expect when they go back to the operating room. Seeing their child engage with the game also helps parents feel at ease and provides them with a novel way to coach their child during the process.”
The game is currently being tested at Cincinnati Children’s, but LittleSeed Calming Technologies LLC has licensed the right to market it to other hospitals.
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