To demand a blood test for my two year old?

[ivy621]

My two year old has being getting recurrent petechiae (the tiny little non-blanching dots) on different areas of her body for weeks, they fade after a few days then a few will pop up somewhere else, she’s okay in herself, been playing less buts that’s all I can think of.
Been to the GP today, who thinks she’s totally fine and nothing to worry about but I pushed for a blood form. My little one gets very upset in any doctor situation and the doctor said ‘how do you expect to get her a blood test done if she won’t even let me near her?’ She made me feel silly and like I was being irrational. I still pushed for the bloods. Now I’m questioning if I’m doing the right thing putting her through this.
Am I doing the right thing? Anyone been in a similar situation?
Feeling very stressed over this.
Any advice helpful, if anyone has any advice for a two year old having a blood test that would be great.
Thank you.

I would accept the medical advice and not put her through having an unnecessary test just to reassureme.

More than likely viral

How are they going to get the blood though if she gets upset in an doctors situation. Pinning her down is going to be very distressing and may take two adults as well as person taking the blood

There are a lot of viruses around . I had covid-like symptoms and towards the end of it had a pinprick rash on both legs. They popped up in different parts of my legs and lasted weeks before they went away.

Blood tests are really distressing for children, even for those old enough to understand that they’re needed and will soon be over . I wouldn’t put an already doctor reluctant 2 year old through it unless there was enough going on to warrant it or the doctor said it needed to be done.

Honestly we had to take my toddler for bloods the other month and holding her down while she cried ‘no mommy I don’t want it’ over & over while they struggled to get one of her tiny veins was traumatic for both of us. I would not push for them to be done unless medically advised, especially not when she is fine in herself.

Thanks everyone. I won’t book the blood test I will just continue to keep an eye on her.

OP just came across this! Don’t be fobbed off if it’s still appearing. I went 3 times to the gp with it for ds before one doctor sent him straight up to A&E. Blood test done and a chest ultrasound which confirmed chest infection (he wasn’t coughing much tbh).

He has been getting the petechiae recurrently since may and had 4 blood tests, twice admitted to hospital with it. It’s almost always when he has tonsillitis or a chest infection but he’s getting them daily randomly aswell. Did you ever find out what was causing them? I’m wondering if it’s something to do with ds blood 😩

Not what you asked for, but I have no idea why they use the ‘pinning down’ method for toddlers in this country. I did a blood test for my baby abroad and they used numbing cream first before taking blood. My baby didn’t feel a thing and was happily babbling with me while the nurse took the blood.

My son had them regularly when he was a young child it turns out the strap on his bag was rubbing him, he also got them if a label rubbed him I’m not saying this is the case with your child but just to say they can be caused by friction to the skin or was in my sons case- this was over 10 years ago he’s a strapping 18 year old now.

I don't know whether the blood test is necessary or not but when my severely autistic son was three he needed bloods taken ,it was arranged at the hospital and we had play therapists singing to him and blowing bubbles with him to distract ,so it can be done if necessary.

They use emla cream in the UK too.

They used numbing cream the first time my son had it and he screamed the whole way through and was trying to rub it off. They used the freeze spray last time 3 times which he still screamed but at least it was over quicker.

Each time my son has had the fast spreading petechiae, they’ve done a blood test. I took him to GP with it 2 weeks ago (there was only a couple singular ones) and he was sent straight up to A&E again where they confirmed tonsillitis . 2 days later more came up and he was admitted with crackling on chest and low oxygen.

Took him back to GP as new ones appeared on Friday and was told they're nothing to worry about. 😫Seems to depend which doctor you see. It can be caused by coughing but usually only if it’s above chest level. I’ve also been told bacterial tonsillitis can cause them.

Lol. Thus speaks a parent of one child who managed it once.

Firstly they use the cream in this country as a standard thing unless it's an emergency situation.

Dd1 sat there nicely aged 2 and then them do it. At 4yo she was less cooperative, although bribery worked well.
I would be pulling dd2 down from the ceiling before the needle had got within a yard of her.
Ds found them fascinating and would watch, ask questions... and then faint afterwards. He was also massively allergic to the cream so didn't have it.

Op. Ds used to get non-fading rash every time he had an illness. They varied between tiny pin pricks in a small area, through pin pricks all over to blotches the size of old 50ps. They did a blood test on him - sent by GP, not asked by me, (lucky he liked them!) every time and every time they told me that there were the "right sort of abnormalities" and it was a viral rash.
They also (when they decided it wasn't anything to worry about and not to get a blood test every time) told me that if they faded within a day or two then there was nothing to worry about; if it was meningitis then the rash is a later symptom so he would be appearing very ill before the rash appeared, and to watch his behaviour (eg very tired) rather than the rash as it was clear that was how his body reacted to infection.

The go didn't want to refer my 14 year old daughter to the breast clinic for breast lumps. She ended up having 11 lumps removed from her breasts and referred the genetic Dr's .

No need to be mean. I’m glad to learn that we use numbing cream here as well and that my baby won’t feel the needle if he has to have a test done again, it didn’t sound like an entirely pain free process from what the previous posters described, but I’m happy to be wrong :)

We have since had to take my 11 month old as well and they did use numbing cream on both occasions. Sadly they couldn’t get the blood from either of my children so we either had to abandon or try for another vein. DD1 (toddler) they went for her hand, she’s usually very chill but it isn’t a chilled environment never mind without the numbing. DD2 (baby) is not naturally chilled and I could see she didn’t react with the needle but was already crying & thrashing around because they were holding her hand. They ended up getting it from her foot in the end. I think either way, they’ll need some form of pinning down so there isn’t a needle stick injury for the child or the staff!

ETA - genuinely pleased for you it went well for your DC, but I would say the majority of children having bloods won’t enjoy it. Also even if it went completely smoothly, why have procedures if they aren’t necessary (I’m not saying OP’s child didn’t need bloods but in general)

I would possibly watch and wait a month or so but if they continue to recur I think I would get a blood test. Various things can cause petechiae and whilst it’s unlikely to be serious it’s worth checking out in my view.

My daughter needed blood tests at a little bit older - around 4. Was traumatic. Even with the numbing cream it took two of them plus me to hold her still it was awful. You should have a clear rationale of why you want to put them through this.