Your Child's Hospital Visit

Helping Your Child During A Medical Procedure

You may be able to stay with your child for some procedures. Let the doctors and nurses know how your child reacts in medical situations and how he or she has gotten through them in the past. Together, you can decide whether your presence will calm your child or make it harder for him or her.

If you accompany your child, there are many things you can do to help.

Show your child that you care and that you trust the doctors and nurses

• Stroke his or her hand, arm or face;

• Keep your voice calm and soothing;

• Talk about how the doctors and nurses are there to help and that they’ll try to
  make the procedure as comfortable as possible.

• Infants
  • Encourage sucking
  • Touch in a soothing way
  • Sing or play music
  • Hold and rock
  • Dangle a mobile toy
  
  
• Toddlers
  • Touch in a soothing way
  • Sing or play music
  • Hold and rock
  • Hold favorite personal items like a blanket or a toy
  • Blow bubbles
  • Play with toys
  • Look at books

• Preschoolers and school-age children
  • Hold hands
  • Hold on your lap
  • Blow bubbles or on a pinwheel (focus on breathing)
  • Explain what they see, feel and hear
  • Hold favorite personal items
  • Look at pictures or books
  • Massage
  • Sing or play music
  • Ask your child to do a job like holding as still as possible, holding a bandage, etc.

• Adolescents
  • Talk
  • Play music
  • Play video tapes / games
  • Massage
  • Do deep breathing exercises
  • Focus their attention on pictures

At all times:

• Reassure
• Encourage
• Coach
• Praise