Cartoons May Ease Anxiety for Kids Facing Surgery FRIDAY, Nov.
16 (HealthDay News) -- Watching a favorite cartoon can reduce
children's anxiety just before they receive anesthesia and
undergo surgery, researchers have found. The new study included
130 children in South Korea, aged 3 to 7, undergoing routine
surgical procedures, such as tonsillectomy. In a pre-surgery
waiting area, one group of children was allowed to watch a
cartoon of their choice while another group was allowed to play
with a favorite toy. A third group received no special
treatment. Anxiety scores in the waiting area were lowest among
the children who played with a favorite toy. But after being
moved to the operating room, anxiety scores were lowest for the
children who watched their favorite cartoon. (A "Power Rangers"
cartoon was the most popular choice.) In the operating room, 43
percent of children who watched a cartoon had little or no
anxiety, compared with 23 percent of those who brought a toy and
7 percent of those who received no