Can a robot make needles less scary for sick kids?
NCT ID NCT04003701
First seen Sep 15, 2026 · Last updated Sep 16, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers test whether a humanoid robot can distract children with chronic conditions during painful puncture procedures such as blood draws and IV placements. The pilot trial enrolls 22 children aged 8 to 12 and their parents at two Belgian hospitals. Children are assigned to usual care or to robot-assisted distraction, and the team measures pain and fear right after the procedure and again one week later to see how children and parents remember the experience.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- distraction with a humanoid robot during a painful procedure
- What this could lead to
- If it works, robot distraction could become a simple, drug-free way to ease pain and fear for children who face repeated needle procedures.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study of 22 children, so any hint of benefit would need confirmation in larger trials. Distraction may not change how children remember pain, and some children may find a robot unsettling.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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22 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2019
- Finished
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Feb 2022
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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8 to 12 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: All participants: * Chronic disease * Willing to participate and comply with pre-determined interventions * 8-12y (children) * Child and parent(s)/guardian cohabited for the past 5 years or, in case of divided custody, for at least half of the child's lifetime * Currently being treated (not necessarily hospitalized) in the University Hospital Brussels Exclusion Criteria: * Developmental disabilities (e.g.: autism spectrum disorder, Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder) * Psychiatric disorders (e.g.: anxiety disorder, personality disorder) * Significant vision or hearing impairment * Not able to read and speak fluent Dutch (parent and child)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University Hospital Brussels
Jette, Brussels Capital, 1090, Belgium
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