Oncology nurses at Children’s Hospital Colorado wanted a way to give young patients accessible comfort. After learning about a small study where adults used weighted blankets during chemotherapy infusion, they asked nurse scientist Figaro Loresto, PhD, to help design a study to see if a heavy blanket could provide comfort.
“The lead nurse noticed that even though children could use iPads or meet with child life specialists, there was often a delay before these supports were available. A weighted blanket, on the other hand, might help reduce anxiety immediately,” said Loresto, an assistant professor at the CU Anschutz College of Nursing.
Several small studies have examined the use of weighted blankets in healthcare settings, showing neutral to positive results.
We asked child psychologist Benjamin Mullin, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry at the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, to explain why a weighted blanket might help children experiencing brief episodes of anxiety. Although not involved in this study, he said he’s “all for anything that can reduce the anxiety response around a procedure like chemotherapy in order to make it a less traumatizing experience for a child.”
The following Q&A with Mullin and Loresto was edited for length and clarity.