This means that, unless we develop a needle-free vaccine, managing pain and fear from needles is critical to the success of vaccines — including an eventual coronavirus vaccine.
As a psychologist with expertise in pain management, I know there is a wealth of research clearly showing how to prevent pain and soothe your needle fears. These five strategies are simple, easy to implement and helpful for all ages — including babies, children and adults. These science-backed strategies are recommended by the Canadian Paediatric Society and the World Health Organization , among others.
Think ahead about what strategies you plan to use to manage fear or pain during the vaccination. Parents often avoid telling kids they are going for a needle until the very last minute to avoid making them anxious. This often has the opposite effect and causes anxiety to skyrocket, along with distrust.
Handouts summarize effective pain management strategies in one place to make vaccinations easy peasy when the time comes. For parents, assessing and managing their own anxiety will enable them to best support their child. Plan to be with your child during the vaccination unless they are older and request to be on their own.
Also called topical anesthetics , these creams help to numb the skin where the needle will be injected. Topical anesthetics Emla, Ametop and Maxilene can be purchased over the counter from any pharmacy and come as a patch or in a tube.
They typically need to be applied to the skin 30 to 60 minutes before the needle, so applying the numbing cream is often something that can be done at home, and later removed at the clinic. A University of Georgia study published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology showed that children were often less distressed when nurses turned on cartoons during immunizations. EMLA cream, a topical anesthetic, may reduce immunization pain in children.
A study found that babies who received EMLA cream in addition to a sugary solution experienced less pain from their shots. The cream blocks nerves from transmitting painful impulses to the brain. Be straightforward about why your child needs to get a shot—but, more importantly, be determined. The best thing parents can do is listen to the doctor and take control of the situation.
Parents and doctors can work as a team to keep children calm and get the job done. Whether you call it a binkie, paci, or chew chew, a pacifier can help comfort babies getting a shot if they are used to sucking on one.
And dipping the pacifier in a sugar solution may be even more effective. After the procedure, breast-feeding may also help reduce the amount of time spent crying by a baby. It sounds too good to be true, but something as simple as the order in which shots are given can make a difference. In a study, babies were less likely to cry if they were given the combination vaccine for diphtheria, polio, tetanus, pertussis, and Haemophilus influenzae type b DPTaP-Hib, or Pentacel followed by the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine PCV, or Prevnar.
Numbing cream is available over-the-counter at retail pharmacies, and is applied 30 minutes before the poke, to numb the skin. Buzzy is a small, vibrating device that you can use right at poke time. When you put this on the skin, it lets your brain feel the non-painful stimuli — the buzzing — instead of the painful stimuli — the poke.
Fancy scientists call this the Gate-Control Theory of pain management. Shotblocker uses the same concept. Freezy spray temporarily numbs the skin, and also works right away. Like Anna and Elsa cold.
We also have a great video below that shows you and your kiddos how you can be the BOSS of your brain. Kids love being in charge, so they will love it! When you choose which of these options your child wants to use, talk about this in your coping plan. Click the image for a printable worksheet that covers everything in this coping plan.
You can also access the Game Plan in Spanish! You can introduce all the things they can DO to help themselves. Talk about a coping plan, and offer some options. This is your warm-up game. Practice what position they want to be in , taking deep breaths, and any other coping technique that you decide on. Doing this in the comfort of your own home helps to hardwire it for actual go-time.
Your kids may have questions throughout this talk, and you should answer them honestly and simply. For younger kids , you can also have a medical play set at home for them to play with.
Adults talk through their feelings, but kids play them out. They can use play to explore the concept of getting pokes and going to the doctor. Older kids benefit from having this talk a few days before, while preschool age kids benefit from chatting a day or so before the appointment.
That is totally normal, and even helpful. The morning of the appointment, go through your coping plan, and get everything together that you might need. Throw some extra things in your bag to keep your kiddo happy and content throughout the appointment. A favorite stuffy or toy is great, and now is a really good time to use that screen we usually are told to limit!
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