Effect of Cartoon Projection and Ball Squeezing on Pain During Venipuncture in Children

February 13, 2026 updated by: Enas Ahmed Abdul Kareem, University of Baghdad

Effect of Immersive Cartoon Projection and Ball Squeezing on Pain During Venipuncture Among Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn which distraction method works better to reduce needle pain in children aged 4-12 years during blood draws.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Does watching cartoon videos lower children's pain more than squeezing a stress ball?

  • Which method do parents prefer for their children?

    120 children will be randomly assigned to watch cartoons or squeeze a ball while nurses draw blood. Pain will be measured using a 0-10 pain scale right after the needle.

This study will help nurses choose the best way to make blood draws less painful for children.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study compares two distraction methods (cartoon projection vs. ball squeezing) to reduce venipuncture pain in children aged 4-12 years.

120 children will be randomized 1:1 to receive either immersive cartoon videos or tactile stress ball distraction during routine blood draws at Karbala Pediatric Hospital.

Pain intensity (primary outcome) will be assessed using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS, 0-10; higher=worse) immediately post-procedure.

The study protocol received ethical approval from University of Baghdad College of Nursing (No. 77, Jan 29, 2026).

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

120

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • Iraq
    • Karbala Governorate
      • Karbala, Karbala Governorate, Iraq, 0694
        • Karbala Pediatric Teaching Hospital Al-Hussein Medical City Karbala, Iraq

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Children aged 4-12 years
  • Requiring venipuncture for routine blood testing
  • Able to watch cartoon video during procedure
  • Parental consent obtained

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Developmental delay preventing cooperation
  • Severe anxiety disorder
  • Visual impairment
  • Non-English/Arabic speaking parents

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cartoon Projection Arm
Children receive immersive cartoon projection distraction during venipuncture
Behavioral: Cartoon Projection Distraction
Immersive cartoon videos during venipuncture'
Behavioral: ball squeezing distraction
Stress ball squeezing during venipuncture'
Experimental: ball squeezing arm
Children aged 4-12 years receive ball squeezing distraction during venipuncture
Behavioral: ball squeezing distraction
Stress ball squeezing during venipuncture'

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Analogue Scale (VAS) Pain Score (0-10; higher scores = worse pain)
Time Frame: 0-30 seconds post - venipuncture
Child rates pain intensity (0-10 cm scale) immediately after needle insertion
0-30 seconds post - venipuncture

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Nurse-Observed Anxiety Level (1-5 scale; higher = worse)
Time Frame: During venipuncture procedure
Child anxiety assessed by nurse observer rating (1-5 scale)
During venipuncture procedure

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Baghdad

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Enas Ahmed, PhD Student, University of Baghdad College of Nursing

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

March 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 5, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 13, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

February 18, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 18, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 13, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • UOB-CON-77-2026

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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