Virtual reality in pediatrics: applications, benefits, and real-world use cases

No parent wants to see their child cry before a blood draw. No doctor wants to struggle against a frightened child to complete a dressing change. Virtual reality in pediatrics is rewriting that script.

Why it works better on children

Children have a naturally greater capacity for immersion than adults. A virtual world with bunnies, balloons or spaceships captures their attention completely — and the brain, busy processing that experience, has fewer resources to devote to fear and pain.

The main clinical applications

• Blood draws and injections: reducing anxiety and procedural pain.

• Complex dressings: burns, surgical wounds.

• Pediatric surgery: pre-op, anesthetic induction, wake-up.

• Pediatric oncology: support during chemotherapy.

• Dentistry: managing anxiety and the gag reflex.

The numbers that matter

Recent clinical experiences — including those from the Italian wards where Lemons operates — show children spontaneously asking for the headset, cooperating with healthcare staff, and describing the experience positively. The traumatic memory, typical of these procedures, is reduced or disappears.

What is needed for a well-made pediatric project

Content designed for children (not "recycled" from the adult world), engaging stories, opportunities for interaction, duration calibrated to the procedure. And a clinical team involved in the design from the very beginning.

The future is already here

In Italy, pediatric VR has moved from experimentation to an integrated service in hospital wards. Le Scotte and Careggi are among the first public hospitals to have adopted this technology at ward scale. And the trend is only just beginning.