Storytime soothers: reading to kids in hospital cuts fear and stress

This study tested whether reading therapeutic stories to hospitalized children aged 4-6 could lower their fear of medical procedures, reduce problematic screen use, and ease parental stress. Forty-four children and their parents took part, with half receiving three days of story reading and half getting standard care. Results suggest storytelling may be a simple, low-cost way to improve the hospital experience for young patients and their families.