Some research articles simply restore our faith in humanity, and this is definitely one of them. These doctors realized that giving hurt children "glove balloons" with faces drawn on them distracted the kids while they received treatment. What was less clear, however, was which style of glove balloon was most cherished: the Jedward (named for the hairstyle of a popular music duo, Fig. 1) or the Mohawk (Fig. 2). The Jedward ended up being sightly more popular, but honestly, we'd be pretty excited to receive either one.
The 'Jedward' versus the 'Mohawk': a prospective study on a paediatric distraction technique. "OBJECTIVE: To examine the use of a standard hospital glove, inflated as a balloon with a face drawn on it, as a distraction technique in children with an acute injury. METHODS: We designed a study to assess the 'best' way to orientate the glove when drawing a face on it. A prospective study was performed in the authors' institution, where all children between the ages of 2 and 8 years presenting during the study period were given the option of playing with one of two glove balloons with a face drawn on it in two different ways.
RESULTS: 149 paediatric patients were assessed, of whom 136 picked a glove, 75 picked the 'Jedward' version and 61 the 'Mohawk' version. CONCLUSIONS: A standard hospital glove, inflated as a balloon with a face drawn on it, is a useful distraction for children with an acute injury. The face drawn should be drawn 'Jedward' style." Related content: NCBI ROFL: How scaring small children can help you lose weight. NCBI ROFL: Freud's take on doctors treating their own children is (surprise!) disturbing. NCBI ROFL: Children smelling man-sweat… for science!
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