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Virtual reality for managing pain and fear and anxiety during pediatric needle procedures: an umbrella review

Thomas Saliba, Guillaume Fahrni

Clin Exp Pediatr. 2026;69(8):609-621. Published online July 14, 2026

Meta-analyses suggest that virtual reality (VR) reduces self-reported pain, fear, and anxiety in children during needle procedures but has high heterogeneity, high overlap between primary studies, and low methodological quality, leading to a "very weak" GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) classification. Clinicians should view VR as a promising additional distraction tool; however, VR cannot yet replace current analgesic and anxiolytic strategies. Future research should focus on age-stratified analyses, measurement tool standardization, and modern VR technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3345/cep.2026.01221

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