THE RESEARCH BEHIND OUR APPROACH
Science behind Tailsiee.
A little curiosity. A lot of thought.
Medicine time can be unfamiliar. We’re exploring how a familiar friend, a shared story and a small choice could help children feel more involved.
34 published references inform our scientific rationale. Explore the complete reference list ↓
WHAT WE’RE EXPLORING
Three little ways in.
A familiar friend
The same character across the carrier, stories and play. Someone to recognise and return to.
A shared story
A friend with feelings. Something for children and grown-ups to wonder about together.
A small choice
Pick a scene. Move a puppet. Take part in the play while a grown-up manages the medicine.
Play without pressure. Stories stay available whether or not a child takes medicine. A dose never unlocks a reward or earns a friend’s affection.
THE RESEARCH WE DRAW ON
What helps us think.
These sources inform our design. They study other approaches, not Tailsiee. Open a summary to see the findings and their limits.
SHARED PLAYPlaying together can support connection and social-emotional development.American Academy of Pediatrics · Clinical report · 2018, reaffirmed 2025
What the research says
This clinical report brings together research on play and child development. It describes benefits of developmentally appropriate play with parents and peers for relationships, social-emotional skills and self-regulation.
How it informs us, and its limits
It supports making shared play part of the design. It is a research synthesis, not a trial of medicine-taking or of Tailsiee. The lead author’s Harvard affiliation is not a Harvard endorsement of this product.
Yogman M, Garner A, Hutchinson J, et al. Pediatrics. 2018;142(3):e20182058. Read the original source ↗
STORIES IN CAREA hospital study found short-term benefits from live storytelling.PNAS · 81 hospitalised children · Randomised study · 2021
What the research says
Brockington and colleagues randomly assigned 81 children in intensive care to a live storytelling session or a riddle activity. After the session, the storytelling group showed greater reductions in pain scores and cortisol, alongside increased oxytocin. The children were around seven years old on average.
How it informs us, and its limits
It offers a reason to study stories in care settings. A live hospital session is different from an audio story at home. The study did not measure refused doses, antibiotic-course adherence or lasting effects.
Brockington G, Moreira APG, Buso MS, et al. PNAS. 2021;118(22):e2018409118. Read the original source ↗
A SMALL CHOICEPreparation, play and age-appropriate choices feature in guidance for medicine time.Together by St. Jude · Practical guidance · Not a trial
What the research says
This caregiver resource suggests age-appropriate explanations, preparation, play and limited choices as ways to support young children during medicine-taking.
How it informs us, and its limits
It informs how an adult could introduce the experience and offer choices about the story or play. It is clinical guidance, not evidence that a carrier or playkit improves adherence. The medicine, dose and timing stay with the child’s care instructions.
Together by St. Jude. Helping Your Young Child Take Medicine. Accessed September 2026. Read the original source ↗
Further reading
Additional context on companionship, games, caregiver instructions and planned food exploration. These approaches differ from the experience we’re making.
FURTHER READINGAn interactive robot offered one way to support children’s emotional experience in hospital.Pediatrics · Randomised feasibility study · 2019
What the research says
Logan and colleagues randomised 54 hospitalised children aged 3–10 to an interactive robot bear, a tablet avatar or a plush bear with human presence. Children in the robot group reported more positive affect than those with the plush bear. Researchers included teams at Boston Children’s Hospital, MIT and Harvard Medical School.
How it informs us, and its limits
An interactive social robot differs substantially from a passive character carrier. This small study concerns feasibility and emotional experience in hospital, not home medicine-taking or adherence. It cannot establish that Pip or Tiggy produces the same effect.
Logan DE, Breazeal C, Goodwin MS, et al. Pediatrics. 2019;144(1):e20181511. Read the original source ↗
FURTHER READINGA purpose-built game was tested for treatment adherence in young people with cancer.Pediatrics · Randomised trial · 2008
What the research says
The Re-Mission trial enrolled 375 people aged 13–29 receiving cancer treatment. A purpose-built video game improved objectively measured adherence to prophylactic antibiotics and oral chemotherapy in the subsets assessed. Self-reported adherence, stress and quality of life did not improve.
How it informs us, and its limits
This is a useful precedent for testing a specific game against a specific treatment behaviour. The participants, illness, medicine format and game are very different from young children taking syrup during a short illness. Its results cannot be transferred to Tailsiee.
Kato PM, Cole SW, Bradlyn AS, Pollock BH. Pediatrics. 2008;122(2):e305–e317. Read the original source ↗
CAREGIVER GUIDANCEClear instructions matter alongside a child’s willingness to participate.Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine · Randomised trial · 2008
What the research says
Yin and colleagues tested pictogram-based counselling with caregivers of young children prescribed liquid medicines. The intervention reduced observed dosing errors and improved reported adherence in the relevant follow-up group.
How it informs us, and its limits
Child willingness is only one part of adherence. Clear instructions and accurate measurement also matter. This trial tested caregiver counselling, not play, and does not establish a benefit from a character carrier.
Yin HS, Dreyer BP, van Schaick L, et al. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(9):814–822. Read the original source ↗
FOOD EXPLORATIONA review explores picture books and children’s willingness to try vegetables.Obesity Reviews · Systematic review · 2026 · Abstract reviewed
What the research says
Burnett and colleagues reviewed 16 studies of picture books and vegetable intake, liking or willingness to taste in children aged 18 months to six years. The abstract reports benefits in several studies and calls for larger samples and follow-up.
How it informs us, and its limits
This informs our planned food-exploration activities. Picture books differ from recorded audio, and the review does not test Tailsiee. This summary is based on the abstract; we have not assessed the full report or assigned an overall certainty rating.
Burnett AJ, Denniss E, Lee J, Spence A, McCrickerd K. Obesity Reviews. Published online 26 August 2026:e70212. Read the original source ↗
A selected reading list, not a systematic review. Source organisations and researchers do not endorse Tailsiee.
OUR SCIENTIFIC RATIONALE
34 published references.
The complete bibliography from our scientific rationale, covering children’s learning, play, family routines and care.
Explore all 34 references
- Gripshover SJ, Markman EM. Teaching young children a theory of nutrition: Conceptual change and the potential for increased vegetable consumption. Psychological Science. 2013;24:1541–1553. Original publication ↗
- Nekitsing C, Blundell-Birtill P, Cockroft JE, Fildes A, Hetherington MM. Increasing intake of an unfamiliar vegetable in preschool children through learning using storybooks and sensory play: A cluster randomized trial. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2019;119:2014–2027. Original publication ↗
- McGowan L, Cooke LJ, Gardner B, Beeken RJ, Croker H, Wardle J. Healthy feeding habits: Efficacy results from a cluster-randomized, controlled exploratory trial of a novel, habit-based intervention with parents. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2013;98:769–777. Original publication ↗
- Birnie KA, Noel M, Chambers CT, Uman LS, Parker JA. Psychological interventions for needle-related procedural pain and distress in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2018;10:CD005179. Original publication ↗
- Michie S, van Stralen MM, West R. The behaviour change wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions. Implementation Science. 2011;6:42. Original publication ↗
- Dowdall N, Melendez-Torres GJ, Murray L, Gardner F, Hartford L, Cooper PJ. Shared picture book reading interventions for child language development: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Child Development. 2020;91:e383–e399. Original publication ↗
- Horst JS, Parsons KL, Bryan NM. Get the story straight: Contextual repetition promotes word learning from storybooks. Frontiers in Psychology. 2011;2:17. Original publication ↗
- Fisher KR, Hirsh-Pasek K, Newcombe N, Golinkoff RM. Taking shape: Supporting preschoolers’ acquisition of geometric knowledge through guided play. Child Development. 2013;84:1872–1878. Original publication ↗
- Yogman M, Garner A, Hutchinson J, Hirsh-Pasek K, Golinkoff RM; AAP Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health; AAP Council on Communications and Media. The power of play: A pediatric role in enhancing development in young children. Pediatrics. 2018;142:e20182058. Original publication ↗
- Evans CEL, Christian MS, Cleghorn CL, Greenwood DC, Cade JE. Systematic review and meta-analysis of school-based interventions to improve daily fruit and vegetable intake in children aged 5 to 12 y. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2012;96:889–901. Original publication ↗
- Wardle J, Cooke LJ, Gibson EL, Sapochnik M, Sheiham A, Lawson M. Increasing children's acceptance of vegetables; a randomized trial of parent-led exposure. Appetite. 2003;40:155–162. Original publication ↗
- Owen LH, Kennedy OB, Hill C, Houston-Price C. Peas, please! Food familiarization through picture books helps parents introduce vegetables into preschoolers' diets. Appetite. 2018;128:32–43. Original publication ↗
- Morrill BA, Madden GJ, Wengreen HJ, Fargo JD, Aguilar SS. A randomized controlled trial of the Food Dudes program: Tangible rewards are more effective than social rewards for increasing short- and long-term fruit and vegetable consumption. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2016;116:618–629. Original publication ↗
- Lally P, van Jaarsveld CHM, Potts HWW, Wardle J. How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology. 2010;40:998–1009. Original publication ↗
- Fiese BH, Wamboldt FS, Anbar RD. Family asthma management routines: Connections to medical adherence and quality of life. Journal of Pediatrics. 2005;146:171–176. Original publication ↗
- Nicholson JA, Naeeni M, Hoptroff M, Matheson JR, Roberts AJ, Taylor D, Sidibe M, Weir AJ, Damle SG, Wright RL. An investigation of the effects of a hand washing intervention on health outcomes and school absence using a randomised trial in Indian urban communities. Tropical Medicine & International Health. 2014;19:284–292. Original publication ↗
- Priest P, McKenzie JE, Audas R, Poore M, Brunton C, Reeves L. Hand sanitiser provision for reducing illness absences in primary school children: A cluster randomised trial. PLOS Medicine. 2014;11:e1001700. Original publication ↗
- Romito B, Jewell J, Jackson M; AAP Committee on Hospital Care; Association of Child Life Professionals. Child life services. Pediatrics. 2021;147:e2020040261. Original publication ↗
- Brockington G, et al. Storytelling increases oxytocin and positive emotions and decreases cortisol and pain in hospitalized children. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2021;118:e2018409118. Original publication ↗
- Melamed BG, Siegel LJ. Reduction of anxiety in children facing hospitalization and surgery by use of filmed modeling. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1975;43:511–521. Original publication ↗
- Kırkan Ç, Kahraman A. Effect of therapeutic play using a toy nebulizer and toy mask on a child’s fear and anxiety levels. Journal of Pediatric Nursing. 2023;73:e556–e562. Original publication ↗
- Macuncu N, Kostak MA. The effect of storytelling and painting on children’s fear level and parental health care satisfaction in children aged 3–6 years administered inhaler medication: Randomized controlled study. Journal of Pediatric Nursing. 2025;83:55–62. Original publication ↗
- Savaş EH, Uysal G, Akdağ MY, Şahin RS. The effect of storytelling caterpillar use on pain, fear, anxiety, and parental satisfaction during blood draw in children aged 3 to 6 years: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Pediatric Nursing. 2026;88:222–230. Original publication ↗
- Kato PM, Cole SW, Bradlyn AS, Pollock BH. A video game improves behavioral outcomes in adolescents and young adults with cancer: A randomized trial. Pediatrics. 2008;122:e305–e317. Original publication ↗
- McPherson AC, Glazebrook C, Forster D, James C, Smyth A. A randomized, controlled trial of an interactive educational computer package for children with asthma. Pediatrics. 2006;117:1046–1054. Original publication ↗
- Braddock K, Dillard JP. Meta-analytic evidence for the persuasive effect of narratives on beliefs, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. Communication Monographs. 2016;83:446–467. Original publication ↗
- Roberto CA, Baik J, Harris JL, Brownell KD. Influence of licensed characters on children's taste and snack preferences. Pediatrics. 2010;126:88–93. Original publication ↗
- Bond BJ, Calvert SL. A model and measure of US parents' perceptions of young children's parasocial relationships. Journal of Children and Media. 2014;8:286–304. Original publication ↗
- Howard Gola AA, Richards MN, Lauricella AR, Calvert SL. Building meaningful parasocial relationships between toddlers and media characters to teach early mathematical skills. Media Psychology. 2013;16:390–411. Original publication ↗
- Venables R, Batchelor H, Hodson J, Stirling H, Marriott J. Determination of formulation factors that affect oral medicines acceptability in a domiciliary paediatric population. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 2015;480:55–62. Original publication ↗
- Mennella JA, Spector AC, Reed DR, Coldwell SE. The bad taste of medicines: Overview of basic research on bitter taste. Clinical Therapeutics. 2013;35:1225–1246. Original publication ↗
- Bernstein IL. Learned taste aversions in children receiving chemotherapy. Science. 1978;200:1302–1303. Original publication ↗
- Yin HS, et al. Liquid medication errors and dosing tools: A randomized controlled experiment. Pediatrics. 2016;138:e20160357. Original publication ↗
- Burnett AJ, Denniss E, Lee J, Spence A, McCrickerd K. The impact of picture books on children’s intake, liking, and/or willingness to taste vegetables: Systematic review. Obesity Reviews. Published online 26 August 2026:e70212. Original publication ↗
STILL TO LEARN
Our idea needs its own evidence.
We have not established that Tailsiee reduces distress, medicine refusal or missed doses. These are questions for future evaluation:
- Does it fit real family routines?
- Does it change how medicine time feels?
- Does it support taking medicine as prescribed?
- Is it safe, suitable and useful over time?
These are proposed questions, not an announcement of a clinical trial. Product safety assessment and direct testing are needed before claims of clinical benefit.