Send in the clowns! They may be a powerful tool in getting children suffering from pneumonia out of the hospital sooner. That’s the result of a study by researchers from Carmal Medical Center in Israel who found that using medical clowns shorten a child’s hospital stay.

According to Study Finds, the study presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress found that using medical clowns helps shorten children’s hospital stays even when they were battling pneumonia. Medical clowns are specially trained professionals who use humor, music, and playfulness to help reduce pain and relieve anxiety in hospitalized children.

For the study, 51 hospitalized children suffering from pneumonia underwent standard medical care or standard care plus two 15-minute visits from medical clowns each day for the first two days of their hospital stay.

The clowns, part of a group called The Dream Doctors Project, entertained the kids with various techniques such as music and guided imagery to help them relax. The results were significant. The children who were visited by the clowns left the hospital after 43.5 hours compared to 70 hours for children who did not receive clown therapy.

In addition, the group with clown visits needed only two days of intravenous antibiotics, while the control group needed three days. The researchers noted that the clown group also had lower heart rates, slower breathing, and showed fewer signs of infection.

“While the practice of medical clowning is not a standardized interaction, we believe that it helps alleviate stress and anxiety, improves psychological adjustment to the hospital environment and allows patients to better participate in treatment plans like adherence to oral antibiotics and fluids. This in turn helps the children to recuperate faster,” said lead author Dr. Karin Yaacoby-Bianu.

Yaacoby-Bianu added that laughter and humor may also have a direct effect on the healing process by lowering respiratory and heart rates, modulating hormones and enhancing the immune system. Experts say that the innovative study opens the doors to more research that might help with other illnesses.

“This study indicates the positive effect that humor can have in healthcare settings and emphasizes the potential for non-pharmaceutical interventions to influence clinical outcomes,’ said Dr. Stefan Unger, a pediatric respiratory specialist from the U.K. who was not involved in the study.

Unger said that using medical clowns may help alleviate stress for both the sick children and their families, cut healthcare costs, and even help reduce the burden on hospital staff.