January 03, 2005: Game Boy zaps tranquilizers in keeping kids calm before surgery

Trenton, N.J. — Helping the Powerpuff Girls defend Townsville from villains like Mojo Jojo on a handheld video game relaxes children facing surgery more than tranquilizers or holding their parent’s hand, researchers at a New Jersey hospital have found.

Their study, presented Dec. 11, found that letting children play with a handheld Game Boy in the operating room reduced their anxiety until anesthesia took effect.

Lead researcher Anu Patel, MD, did the study after noticing a friend’s 7-year-old son was so absorbed with his Game Boy at a restaurant that he ignored the adults and food at his table.

“We find that the children are just so happy with the Game Boy that they actually do forget where they are,” Patel, an anesthesiologist at University Hospital in Newark and assistant professor of anesthesiology at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, told The Associated Press.

When she began her study on 4- to 12-year-olds in February, she thought the Game Boy might reduce anxiety as much as a standard tranquilizer, midazolam, often given before surgery. But the video game worked better — a bonus, she said, because many parents oppose tranquilizing their children.

Youngsters who are traumatized before surgery run the risk of long-term psychological problems, including nightmares, bed-wetting, and fear of being alone.