4 Tips for Getting a Child Through a Blood Draw
Guest blogger Nancy Flanders is back after a short stint away from DifferentDream.com. (She was busy conducting a successful cystic fibrosis fundraiser, BTW.) As always, her post is full of practical tips for you. In it, she deals with the sticky topic of preparing a young child for a blood draw.
Getting Through The Blood Draw
There’s nothing I dread more than watching my daughter endure a blood draw, except perhaps watching a struggling technician try to locate a good vein. But after going through five in 2 1/2 years (four with child number one, and one with child number two), I have become somewhat of a pro. I know what to expect, I know what to ask for, and I know how to make my child as comfortable as possible.
Expect the Best
No matter what the doctor or nurse who is scheduling the blood draw says, the worst place to let them do a blood draw on your child is in the lab. Many of the technicians are afraid to work on a small child, especially a baby, and will waste huge amounts of time trying to work up the courage to put a needle into your baby’s arm. They will say they can’t find a vein. But then the more experienced technician will walk in – after your child is screaming and you are ready to walk out the door – and she will put the needle in and draw out the blood as if it was the most basic skill a person could have. Skip the dramatics. Find out who the best person is to perform your child’s blood draw. There are nurses who specialize in working with children. They are the people you want. Ask for them. Demand them. You will not regret it.
Insist on Comfort
There are wonderful people in this world known as Child Life Specialists. They are gifted at making children feel not just comfortable, but happy and carefree in a hospital setting. I can’t even begin to explain my level of gratitude to our very own Jenny at clinic. She has chased away many a tantrum and her colleagues at The Comfort Zone are equally amazing. They stop at nothing to make my daughter comfortable. They blow bubbles, sing songs, read books, do puzzles, and will act like a child themselves.
Ease the Pain
Peanut’s first two blood draws didn’t involve any numbing cream. It wasn’t offered and I’m guessing that’s because EMLA has been shown to have the worst side effects for infants. So for her first two blood draws, Peanut felt the pain of the needle. It still bothers me, especially because there are other options. Sweet-Ease is a sucrose solution that has been proven to lower discomfort levels in infants. Now that she’s older, we just slather on the cream about 30 minutes before. Despite the fact that they have to take blood out of both arms in order to run all of the tests they need, she doesn’t even flinch when the needles go in.
To Talk or Not to Talk About It
Depending on your child, only you can decide if you should talk to your child beforehand about the process of drawing blood. Some children need to know what to expect, but others won’t be able handle the anxiety of waiting for what’s to come. Understanding your child and trusting your gut are important to helping your child cope with the experience. Let her bring her comfort blanket or toy, or have it on hand in your bag just in case.
As parents, we are saddened by what are children have to go through. But we aren’t weakened by it. Insist on the best care and your child will receive the best care. You just have to know what to ask for.
Where Were You 29 Years Ago, Nancy?
After reading Nancy’s post, I have only one question: Where were you 29 years ago when our son was subjected to frequent blood draws? How I wish your advice had been available then! If you have more tips and tricks to get kids through a blood draw, please leave a comment. Anything to help our little ones suffer less fear and pain is appreciated!
Cringing at the memory of my baby’s pain,
Jolene
As a family that deals with 3 pokes a week at the very least, I must say that this is SUCH a necessary post today! So many kids struggle with these needle sticks, and it breaks moms’ hearts. Two other new tools that parents are reporting success with include the Buzzy http://www.buzzy4shots.com/ and Pain Ease Spray http://www.gebauerco.com/Products/Gebauer-s-Pain-Ease.aspx. Thanks for presenting this important topic, ladies!
Where do I get EMLA cream? Do they have it already? Do I provide it?
I LOVE this kind of article….Thank You!
Hi Amy, You can get EMLA as a prescription from your peds office. Or you can ask about it where you will be having the blood draw done. There are different types of creams and some hospitals prefer to use one over the other. You will want the help of a nurse in applying it for at least the first time, since your child’s arm will need to be covered in plastic and the cream left on for a while. It will involve getting to the appointment a little early… but it is worth it.
Nancy
I’m in the hospital with Emily right now. I have to say every one of these tips is crucial to getting through blood draws. However, they also work for putting in IVs as well. Another ticket to getting things done with minimal discomfort is to be sure the staff know that you will be proceeding on your CHILD’S timetable, not theirs! I don’t care where else they have to be, if they will take care with my child, they will get there faster than fighting and trying to force her. Talking her through the process and giving her every choice possible will speed the process and make sure she cooperates without fear. (and this will speed the process further next time!) My daughter also has no feeling below her waist, so we insist on small blood draws coming from her toes to minimize the discomfort. The look on nurses’ faces is priceless, but they usually end up agreeing, it was faster and easier. Letting her choose which arm, where on her arm, who she wants to do it, which parent she wants sitting beside her, etc, gives her control over an otherwise uncontrollable process.
Nancy’s article is wonderful because it’s so practical. Twenty years ago we had two children that needed regular draws for different reasons, a 6 year old girl and a toddler boy. What I had to remember was that they were different children I had to approach the draw differently. Then I’d think I had it figured out and the next time they would be at a different stage and things would change. My tip is to be willing to do what you need to do for your child. Don’t let others (especially medical staff) dictate how you handle a draw.
For our son the anticipation of getting a new matchbox car after each draw helped. Some would consider it a bribe, but talking about which one he would chose was a diversion. He’s now 25 and we have a HUGE box of matchbox cars and he remembers when he got them. Our daughter was extremely fearful and distrustful so eventually our pediatrician actually did the draws for us. Our daughter trusted her,which helped tremendously. Her reward after a draw (regardless of how she acted) was going to visit the dogs at the human society. I wanted them to have something fun to look forward too after a draw.
Thanks Nancy for sharing your insights and tips with parents that endure medical tests regularly. I pray God’s blessings on all families that are experiencing life differently right now.
Thanks for all the input on this topic. Clearly it strikes a nerve with many parents. Hopefully, these creams have improved since 1999 when we tried them with our son, then age 15. Even with the cream, he fainted dead away every time an IV was put in his hand. Perhaps the response had more to do with his then untreated PTSD. It would be interesting to see how he would respond to such a procedure now that he’s been treated for PTSD.
Jolene
We have used the cream in the past, too, but we don’t always know when a stick will take place and have cream available. Thanks, Barb, for the link to the Buzzy. I am ordering one today. It will have multiple uses in our house!
Thanks for all of your amazing comments and tips. I hadn’t thought about the IV connection as we’ve managed to avoid the IV since the one she had in the NICU. But I know they will be in our future! I am going to go check out the Buzzy! Hate ever having to see my kids in pain!