Videoconferencing reported to reduce stress among hospitalized children

Frequently, hospitalized patients appreciate visits from friends and relatives; in addition, children may be particularly distressed by the hospital environment and disconnection between loved ones. However, not uncommonly, a visitor will arrive when the patient is off having a procedure, the patient may have limited access for reasons such as isolation policies, or a person simply may not have the time available to make the visit. Patient-visitor contact can be greatly improved with videoconferencing. A new study evaluated how well the technology reduced stress among hospitalized children. The findings were published online on June 30 in the journal Pediatrics.

Virtual visits reduce stress in hospitalized kids

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The study authors explained that Family-Link is a videoconferencing program, which allows hospitalized children and their parents to virtually visit family members and friends using laptops, webcams, and a secure Wi-Fi connection. They assessed the association of Family-Link use on the reduction of stress experienced by children during hospitalization.

The researchers offered Family-Link to pediatric patients who had an expected length of hospitalization of four or more days. They measured the stress levels of hospitalized children at admission and discharge using a previously published Parental Stress Survey. They conducted a statistical analysis to assess the relationship between the use of Family-Link and stress experienced by children during hospitalization.

The study group comprised 367 children: 232 Family-Link users and 135 non–Family-Link users. Using a score matching method, they found that the use of Family-Link was significantly associated with a greater reduction in overall average stress compared with non–Family-Link users among the group of patients who lived closer to the hospital and had shorter lengths of hospitalization. In this group, the overall reduction in stress was 37% greater among Family-Link users than non–Family-Link users.

The authors concluded that the use of videoconferencing by some hospitalized children and families to conduct virtual visits with family and friends outside of the hospital was associated with a larger reduction in stress during hospitalization than those who did not use videoconferencing.

The researchers are affiliated with the University of California Davis Children’s Hospital (Sacramento, California), the Center for Health and Technology, University of California Davis Health System, University of California Davis (Sacramento, California, and the Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine School of Medicine (Irvine, California).

The Doctor Will Skype You Now

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Report 90 percent of children eating too much salt

The great majority of American children -- or 90 percent -- eat far more sodium than is recommended, which puts them at risk for high blood pressure and heart disease later in life, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About one in 6 children ages eight to 17 already have high blood pressure.

Child Is Eating Too Much Salt

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In the latest data available on sodium consumption in U.S. children (from 2009-2010), the report shows how much sodium school-age children eat and where it comes from. It also explains the 10 food categories that add the most salt to children’s diets.

A major finding was that children ages six to 18 eat an average of about 3,300 mg of sodium daily in foods before they are salted at the table; the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that children eat a total of less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. (2,300 mg of sodium equals one teaspoon.) Children with hypertension or diseases such as diabetes should eat even less sodium, or 1, 500 a day.

Most of the salt consumed by the children in the report was found to be in these forms:

Approximately 65 percent of sodium comes from processed foods bought in a store.

Thirteen percent comes from fast food and pizza restaurant foods.

Nine percent comes from foods in the school cafeteria.

Additionally, 43 percent of sodium comes from these 10 food categories:

Pizza

Bread

Rolls

Cold cuts/cured meats

Cheese

Chicken patties/nuggets/tenders

Savory snacks

Sandwiches

Pasta mixed dishes

Mexican mixed dishes

And soups.

The CDC urges parents, caregivers, schools, communities, and places that sell or serve food provide more low-sodium options to children. For example:

Parents can provide more fruits and vegetables, and they can compare nutrition facts labels to choose the lowest sodium options before buying. Avoid processed foods and restaurant foods whenever possible

Places that produce, sell, or serve food can replace sodium with alternatives such as spices, herbs, and vegetables. They can also use lower-sodium brands.

Schools and school districts can buy lower-sodium foods, in the lunchroom and in vending machines and school stores.

Sodium and Kids

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