Having a blood test can be a very challenging experience for your child. It may be their first time round or they may have had previous negative experiences that fill them with dread at the mere words. While there is no magic wand to prevent them having to have a blood test or ensuring that it is without discomfort, there are lots of things that we can do to promote a more positive experience.
Preparation
Make a plan with your child prior to their blood test. Be open and honest while providing reassurance that you will be with them all the way. Encourage them to be part of the planning to promote choice and control. They may like to choose their positioning; what they do for distraction or what activity they would like to do when it is finished. Depending on the age of your child, the Royal Children’s Hospital, B+ videos are a great resource that help children to understand what to expect from different procedures. You can watch the video with your child to help them feel more prepared and confident going into their blood test.
Numbing Cream or Buzzy Bee
Numbing cream can be effective in helping numb the area prior to the blood test. This can be purchased over the counter at the chemist and is usually applied 40-45min prior to the blood test. Once the cream is on, a sticky cover is put over the top. Some children can find the removal of this (much like a Band-Aid) to be stressful just prior to the blood test. If your child has sensory issues you might like to consider using Glad Wrap instead to keep the cream in place and to support easy removal.
Vibrating products such as the Buzzy Bee (buzzy4shots.com) is another option that assists in blocking sharp pain and providing distraction during blood tests. It is designed to confuse your body’s nerves and distract attention away from the pain. Larger clinics or hospitals may have their own and you can call in advance to ask.
Comfort positioning
The last thing we want to do is hold a child down for any procedure. It can be traumatising to experience that lack of control and causes a sense of distrust with medical professionals and parents alike. There are different positions that allow your child to be held and comforted by you, providing a safe space as well as more control.
Distraction
Distraction is a child’s best friend when it comes to procedures. Choosing something that your child is familiar with often works best. For example; watching or listening to favourite nursery rhymes, or shows on an iPad or phone, reading a book together or singing a familiar song. For younger children, you can practise blowing bubbles – you can count them, blow them, find the biggest and smallest ones or just watch them float. The bubbles are also a good way of helping children to control their breathing.
Visual blocks
Using a book or an iPad can reduce distress by focusing their attention to more pleasant things and away from the blood test. However, some children do prefer to watch as it offers them a greater sense of control and it is good to have a plan with your child about this prior to the procedure.
Comfort Items
If your child has a favourite blanket, dummy or toy, they might like to bring them to enhance their sense of safety in a foreign environment. For older children, they might have a favourite game or device that will make them feel more settled.
Positive experiences
Providing your child with a positive play experience prior to and post the blood test can help ‘book end’ the procedure. Supporting positive play around the procedure can help them reframe the experience and will often be the lasting memory. A special treat after can also help! Even if your child has become upset during the procedure, focus on the things that they did well; such as; “I was so proud of the way you tried to hold really still today”, or “It was great to see you trying to take some really deep breaths while we were in there”.
Coping strategies
You can support your child to focus on taking a few deep, slow breaths before going into the blood test to help them regulate. Demonstrating this breathing and doing it with your child can make you both feel a lot calmer before and during the procedure. Your positive words, feelings and actions can help your child feel more comfortable. Toe wriggling and counting are also strategies that many children report to be helpful.
Extra tips
Always remember to encourage your child to drink plenty of water before your appointment. The water will help the phlebotomists to locate your child’s veins with more ease. If your child has difficult veins to find, you can also warm a heat pack for the area or fill a medical glove with warm water for a short period prior to the test, which can assist with location.
Remember that if your child has had a negative blood test experience that it can take some time to turn things around and re-establish trust. You can acknowledge their previous distress but also highlight all the things that you are now doing to make it a more positive experience for the future.
Kate Strickland has a background in Occupational Therapy and Education and has been a Child Life Therapist working with infants, children and young people in the cardiac space for many years at the Royal Children’s Hospital. Seeing the gap in service provision pre and post hospital, she started the organisation Healing Hearts Beyond to provide a community-based Child Life Therapy service to support infants and children along with their families in managing the stresses associated with procedures, hospitalisations and medical trauma.
Comments