Using virtual reality to reduce needle pain in children with leukemia

Children with leukemia need repeated needle injections into an implantable port (a small device under the skin) to receive chemotherapy and other treatments. This trial is testing whether wearing a virtual reality headset during these needle procedures—which immerses children in an interactive 3D world with sights and sounds—can help reduce pain and anxiety compared to standard distraction methods like talking or singing.

While numbing cream helps with pain, children still feel significant anxiety before and during these repeated procedures, which can get worse over time and make future treatments harder. Researchers believe that the immersive distraction provided by this treatment might help calm children's fears and make the experience less traumatic.