Archives de pédiatrie : organe officiel de la Sociéte française de pédiatrie
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In recent years, in children's hospitals, clowns are involved in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), at the bedside of the most severely ill children. This study is the first that addresses the work of professional clowns in the PICU. Its aim is to describe this practice in French hospitals. ⋯ Despite the severity of the situations met in the PICU, the instability of patients and the technical environment, clowning in PICUs appears to be a common and worthwhile practice in most French pediatric hospitals.