Maraca magic? study tests if shaking a toy eases needle pain in toddlers
NCT ID NCT07248852
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether having a child shake a maraca in the arm opposite to where a blood draw happens can reduce pain. Researchers will compare this playful distraction plus usual care against usual care alone in 160 children aged 1 to 3 years. The goal is to see if active movement can lower pain, fear, and the need for restraint during the procedure.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- guided movement with a maraca
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to ease pain and fear during blood draws for toddlers.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 160 children. The distraction may not significantly reduce pain, and results may not apply to all settings.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
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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About 160 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Feb 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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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1 year to 3 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: * aged 1 to 3 years * with a venipuncture prescribed within the first 48 hours of hospitalization in general paediatrics or during a consultation Exclusion Criteria: * motor disability of upper limbs * mental disability with neuromotor troubles * venipuncture or other invasive procedure (lumbar puncture or catheter insertion) within 2 hours prior to inclusion * more than 5 venipunctures within 48 hours prior to inclusion * clinical condition requiring emergency venous access
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Direction de la recherche et de l'innovation
Paris, 75012, France
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