A randomised controlled trial examining the effectiveness of cartoons as a distraction technique.

Aim: Distress and pain associated with immunisation are significant problems for children, carers and healthcare professionals. This study was designed to determine whether distraction by watching cartoons during immunisation could reduce the distress and pain perceived by the children.

Methods: A sample of 35 six year olds was randomly assigned to one of two groups: the first was distracted by standard techniques during immunisation, the second by watching cartoons.