How is blood drawn from a four-year-old?
My child often gets bruises, and every time she has an infection, the fever lasts an extremely long time. We've been battling the fever for over a week now; sometimes it goes away, then suddenly it's back again. A few days ago, she had a severe nosebleed out of nowhere and reported back pain. She's 4, and I really don't want to go through the whole blood test because it will definitely be traumatic, holding on and all that. But now I'm wondering, do they take it from the crook of her elbow or from the hand?
Btw I have an anxiety disorder when it comes to death and illness
(4 votes)
Loading...
Ganz unterschiedlich, das entscheidet der Arzt.
If you're worried that your child is seriously ill, a blood draw is probably necessary. The doctor will proceed with caution. They may even be able to numb the puncture site beforehand.
Take your favorite teddy bear with you and let him get the injection first. If he's brave, the child will be too.
Where the veins are most visible. Usually in the crook of the elbow. This is also convenient because it's less painful than on the hand.
The ladies at the lab really have a lot of experience with taking blood. They do it often enough, even with children. Most of them have tons of tricks up their sleeves to distract the little ones.
Do not transfer your own fear to the child
I have never passed my fear on to my child, but as soon as the topic of pricking or vaccination comes up, the child panics and cannot be calmed down, so stop blaming me.
"stop blaming me"
Nobody is blaming you here – it's not about guilt, it's about making sure your child doesn't panic at the doctor's. We just want to help and you're only blocking people because you feel attacked even though NO ONE here is. Can you read because you keep asking? Read the sentences and stop interpreting and assume that nobody here has any reason to blame you or make fun of you. But YOU keep reading it like that. I can tell you who that reminds me of: myself 15 years ago. It's not about guilt. It's about finding a solution. NOTHING ELSE. Questions are asked and answered here. And there are honest people and dishonest ones, knowledgeable ones and ignorant ones, but there are only a few who will butter you up just because you are you. You're being extremely aggressive here and act as if someone is attacking you, when in the end it's always you who's doing the ranting. Get a grip now.
It's YOUR problem if you interpret normal sentences as attacks, but then you shouldn't ask such questions here. Instead, ask a psychologist or leave the whole matter to the doctor. This is about your child, not you. Or have I misunderstood something? And if you can't handle the answers here, then feel free to ask on any social media platform, where everyone will tell you how great you're doing, and you'll end up feeling like an idiot because you still don't have an answer.
If you have a relative who doesn't have a problem with doctors, ask them to explain it to the child. Or do it yourself. Children that age don't panic "just like that." They panic when their parents/trusted people panic because they themselves don't yet know exactly when it's appropriate to panic. This applies to all emotional states. If you always laugh when the cat runs into the wall, your child will always find it funny. But there are also children who don't find it funny because their parents don't. Transference depends on the situation. "At the doctor's" "While shopping"… The child doesn't know WHY you feel uncomfortable, but they notice THAT you feel uncomfortable and then they feel uncomfortable too. This is also the reason why you should just leave when your child starts daycare. Because children WILL cry if you don't want to or can't let go.
If, after explaining this, you STILL think everyone wants to blame you and only do bad things, and you block everyone who takes you seriously, then I'll give up. In the end, it's your problem and your child's.
Your fear will be passed on to the child. You can't prevent that. Conversely, homeopathic remedies work for children if the parents believe in them.
That is then transferred, because the child notices it!
Why is that? Children are very sensitive to their parents' moods.
Well, of course, if you have a relevant medical degree, you can and are welcome to decide.
I trust my doctor, his expertise and his staff.
You can of course refuse to have your blood drawn, but it will be at the expense of your child's health 🤷
And no, the doctor can make suggestions, I decide and nobody else
So I'm blocking you now, you have been noticed negatively several times under my contributions, hit it
The connection isn't necessarily clear to the child. Therefore, your fear can be transmitted, even if it's related to something else.
I do check.
You're transferring your fears and panic to the child, who is also already in a negative mood just by having to go to the doctor. A doctor's visit is traumatic for both you and the child, even without injections and pricks.
The doctor decides what needs to be done, even if it's an injection. You can't spare the child that, and you're not doing them any favors by making a fuss beforehand.
As I said: children have fine antennas
Can't you think? Can't you read? My fear is about ILLNESS AND DEATH
And not that my child is pricked
You don't get it, do you? I'm not afraid that my child might be in pain 🤦🤦 I'm afraid that my child might be sick.
Having blood drawn is only traumatic if everyone tells the child it won't hurt or lies to them about it, when the reality is completely different. Drawing blood can hurt, and it might take the doctor longer to find the vein, but sometimes it's simply necessary. Even a four-year-old can handle this kind of information. And they won't lose trust in their parents and the doctor just because everyone thinks it would be easier to lie to them. Even if they're scared beforehand. You're there, after all. And nobody likes doing this. Explain to them beforehand what's happening and why. And that's fine.
Well, I donate plasma regularly, and for me, it doesn't hurt. When that tiny, thin needle goes into my arms to take blood, I barely feel it. With my child, of course, you want to be different, but everyone feels differently, and yet it can be traumatic when you have to hold the child.
If the child knows that it CAN hurt (I never wrote it WILL) then it will work if the doctor can give the injections halfway decently. Just tell him the truth and that's it. Whether you feel anything or not is not important but even you know that there are people for whom it hurts. If he doesn't feel anything then great. But at least he was prepared. I raised two children too. None of them ever had to be held down. But both were afraid of the first injection. I just had to hold their hand and say something reassuring.
Have you ever heard of parents' fears being passed on to their children in such situations? The more certain you are that your child will survive, the less afraid they will be.
Everyone transmits information unconsciously. And if there's already so much panic, she was probably lied to the first few times. Make it up to her and talk to her honestly about it.
I can't even bring up the subject. The vaccination was enough for her, but as soon as I mention blood work, she starts screaming.
Are we 100% sure that my child will survive this safely and I will not transmit at all
Preferably the crook of the elbow, as the vessels are larger there.
If you approach it calmly from the beginning, you don't have to restrain a child. But as soon as the adults become tense, things get uncomfortable.
The nurses are experienced in taking blood from children, so everything remains relaxed. They will also gently explain to the child that it will hurt for a short time. This is important so that the child doesn't lose trust.
"Now comes a little prick"…
Why should that be traumatic? It will only be traumatic if you pass your anxiety disorder on to your daughter.
And why do you think your daughter should be kept at the BA?
The procedure is explained to the child in a child-friendly manner; a fine needle is used, the surface of the skin is lightly numbed, and then the blood is drawn in a playful way.
If you cannot control yourself and project your fear onto your child, you should not take care of the health care, but rather your partner
There are various options: vein, finger, ear. It probably also depends on the amount needed.
Well for a normal blood test, not fingertip that will probably not be enough
With very small children, it's usually on the hand. It usually hurts for a short time, and if the child cries, that's normal…
If the doctor doesn't make a decision right away and keeps poking around like a madman on a small child, then you just say stop.
Say you want a different doctor.
You want a calmer pediatrician and he should leave your child in peace
It will be fine 🙂