Getting a child through a blood draw can be difficult for a parent. I have drawn blood from children who fought to stay stable and from others who were comfortable enough to do the procedure alone (without their parents).
Usually, a child may hate doing a blood test because of some bad experience they had previously. Sticking is never an enjoyable moment for a child and maybe the first time blood was drawn from them was painful.
Let me share with you a story. I saw it with my two eyes. It’s about a family of three.
A True Story
I will call him Kevin. Kevin, about 9 years old, walked in to do a blood test with both his mom and dad. If I remember correctly he had been there before. It seemed like we had drawn blood from him before.
After doing business with the receptionist Kevin and his parents came into the phlebotomy area. I was the phlebotomist there that day. As usual with kids, a parent will sit with their child. So, Kevin sat on his dad’s lap. I went ahead with the normal procedures.
As I talked with Kevin and his dad and started the procedure of drawing blood, Kevin seemed cool and comfortable. It was good thus far. But as we got into the sticking part of the procedure, Kevin’s appearance and behavior changed. He was no longer calm and easy. He began to fuss and resist. So I stopped the procedure and tried to calm and reassure him that it would be okay.
Realizing that this was going to be a tough one, I got my colleague to assist. He came in, evaluated the situation and began talking with Kevin. He used the tips and tricks he knew to persuade Kevin to do the procedure. But as he tried, his efforts were to no avail. Kevin was not going to do a blood test!
Kevin’s dad at the same time had been trying to calm him and even reminded him that they had talked about this before. He was both sympathetic and empathetic. He remembered the days when he was a child too and how afraid he used to be to do blood tests. So he took it easy with Kevin. He didn’t force him.
Then, he did something that changed everything. He took a couple moments and talked with Kevin. He told him, “I am going to do a blood test too.”
I can’t tell you what happened inside Kevin but there was a drastic change. His face lighted up, he suddenly was calmer and you could hear some excitement in his voice.
He was like, “yes dad, do it, go first!” But Kevin’s dad asked him to make a promise first. He said to him, “I am going to do a blood test, and after I am done you are going to do one too.” Kevin was satisfied and quickly agreed. It was now a deal!
With amazement, I watched the dad sit in the phlebotomy chair while Kevin sat with his mom on the other chair, while my colleague did the blood draw for Kevin’s dad.
Everything about Kevin had changed. As he watched his dad and talked with him, I observed his excitement growing and suddenly the boy who was afraid was now showing confidence and bravery.
When his dad was done, it was his turn. And who would imagine that Kevin would do this? What I saw next surprised me! I was not expecting Kevin to do this: Kevin got up, came, sat on the chair and did the blood test all by himself, just like his dad had done, without any fuss.
I was amazed! What his dad did, worked! Of course, Kevin was nervous as he went through the blood draw but it was beautiful to see his courage and bravery. A boy who only minutes earlier was crying and fussing was now so different about doing what he didn’t want to do.
The blood draw was done! Kevin did it with the help of his dad.
I don’t know if you guys have done that with your child or not. It definitely worked for Kevin, though.
I am not recommending here that you should do that with your child. It’s something that may or may not work. It’s not a tip! It’s just something that happened in my presence and so I shared it.
Tips for Making a Blood Draw Easier
Here are 7 tips you can use to inspire and encourage your child to get through a blood draw:
1. Be honest with your child about the blood draw experience: this could change from parent to parent and child to child. The key here is knowing your child and what works for your child. For some, explaining the process to your boy or girl beforehand and letting them know that it will hurt is a good idea. Don’t try to trick them. Be honest about the procedure. For others that may not work. Telling your child early could have him or her worrying about it, therefore causing more pain.
2. Rehearse the procedure at home: take a few moments to walk your child through a blood draw procedure. Doing this will help them be more comfortable and help relieve any stress they may have and sort of give them some control over the situation.
3. Get your child to drink a lot of fluids: Encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids before the blood test. This will help improve the child’s blood flow and will make it easier to find and access a vein.
4. Get Buzzy for your child: buzzy is a small device that is used for blood draws and injections. When used, it vibrates the arm. The vibration disrupts signals between the brain and nerves that sense pain. So, reducing pain associated with needlestick. Your child will love it! It is shaped like a bee and designed for kids..
5. Remain present with your child: usually, we will let the child sit on the parent’s lap, unless the child is older and wants to do it on their own. This can be very comforting for a child. If you don’t sit with them, stay in the room with them. Stay calm as you go through the procedure with them. Children will mirror what they see in their parents. So if you stay calm and in control, more than likely, they will stay calm too. If you show signs of anxiety and nervousness, they may mirror the same.
6. Use distractions: distractions are a fun and effective way of taking your child’s mind off of the scary experience and focusing it on something that they enjoy. Here are a few to use to distract your child:
- Count to three and blow the feeling away. Do it as many times as needed. The counting and exhaling will give your child some feeling of control over the situation.
- Count in a calm tone. Breathe in and out slowly.
- Get your child to do some deep breathing.
- Bring along your child’s favorite toy or stuffed animal. Using it, make playful acts and funny behaviors to interest them.
- Play their favorite video or cartoon for them or just any cartoon. I saw one mom did this with her child. It worked really well!
- Play their favorite song or story.
7. Reward your child with a treat. Let your child know that you are taking them for a treat after the blood draw. Take them out for their favorite snack and to the park. Treat them really well.Tell your child about the treat before the blood draw.
That will make them excited and give them a reason to do the blood test. Also, the treat is a nice way of getting them to forget about what they just experience especially if it were scary for them.
I hope these tips help you with getting your child through a blood draw. Cheers 🙂