Children's blood tests

[TeamGBsometimes]

My children have never needed a blood test before, but it's possible that dd1 may be sent for one soon.

The nurse said that magic cream will probably be used. Dd1 is nearly 12, so not very young, but is nervous of needles and doctors in general.

Does magic cream really work? Are blood tests for children a non event if the cream is used? I think that dd1 may object to the tourniquet too because she has mild sensory issues and hates her bp being taken. She's also scared of blood.

How have your children coped with blood tests?

The magic cream does work, if it's used properly. It needs to be put on the skin long enough to work and it needs to be over the vein. The usual reasons for it not working are that it hasn't been on long enough or it's not in the right place.
It's usually better if a child of your DD's age is fully informed beforehand about what to expect, so she doesn't fear the unknown.
If she's getting bloods taken at a hospital you could ask if there's a play therapist or nurse she could talk to beforehand. Paediatric nurses & doctors are generally very used to dealing with this kind of thing, so she should be fine.
I think it would help her if you don't make a big deal of it and try to avoid giving her negative expectations.
Good luck.

My DS had a blood test once and my DD had quite a few pre-op blood tests in her first year. There will be specialist nurses there who are very experienced in taking blood. Some hospitals have special needles which have butterflys or other child friendly objects which obscure the needle. The cream helps too. My DS hated having it done, but did it never the less and was rewarded promptly with some chocolates an promise of a toy. I know your DD is older, but maybe the promise of something nice you could both do when it is over might help. Service at the NHS vary greatly and sometimes, in my experience, it's very helpful to ring ahead and talk to the people who will be dealing with your DD. Explain about her feelings and ask what they are going to do to help her through it. Make sure they make some note of it somewhere so the provision is there on the day if they need it. They have to take blood all the time from young children, nervous children etc and so there will be skilled people with techniques and equipment - just make sure they know it needs to be there for your DD. On the plus side, it's a good chance to break down some of her fear. being female she's more likely to have blood taken as a grown up. Good luck and try not to worry x x

My DS had a blood test for the first time recently, he's only so a bit older thatn your daughter. They gave a choice I think of cream (which you have to wait to work) or a cold spray which works instantly. We opted for the cold spray as I didn't want to give him time to think about it. There was a doctor and an excellent nurse who had clearly done it all before, I sat with him on the bed with my arm around him and kept his head away from the arm they were taking from. My son didn't complain so I dont think it hurt him at all - and he had been through a lot that morning. I would try not to make a big deal of it beforehand so she deson't become anxious. Hope it all goes ok.

We opted for the spray too...my DS was 6 at the time and barely flinched :)

Agree with Custard - if you play it down she will be ok. I told DS that he might feel a bit of a scratch but if he was good having it done we'd buy him something from the shop over the road and that worked :)

My teen DD hates blood pressure cuffs and refuses bloods because of the tourniquet which is very difficult at times. OP you are the first person I've come across whose child feels the same. Most people think my DD is making it up.

Both of my girls are adamant that the cream doesn't work to numb pain, only touch and taking the plasters off they cover the cream with just adds to the pain. A nurse at a children's hospital has told me the same but out of their hearing so I think it may be true.

The actual painful part of the test is very short and not actually very painful if done skilfully. A calm child will tolerate it even if the cream doesn't work and a suggestible child will believe that the cream worked and dismiss the small amount they did feel. Unfortunately mine get so wound up they convince themselves it felt ten times worse than it did.

One tip is to draw her a timeline of the whole procedure, showing the tourniquet being put on, all the way through to sticking a plaster on at the end, and include a very tiny bit which is the needle going in. This is the only bit which should hurt so the child is reassured about how short the unpleasant part will be. That, however will only work if she can tolerate the tourniquet.

I also agree with the previous poster who said to ring ahead and let them know there may be an issue. If nothing that should ensure she is with someone who is skilled and patient.

During a recent hospital stay with my 9 year old it took five hours to persuade her to let them take blood but they worked hard to help her, never suggested forcing her and eventually she held her arm out and let them do it, albeit while screaming down my ear at the same time.

You do need to let her see that you are very calm and in control and that you have full confidence that she is able to get over any fear and cooperate.

A tourniquet isn't necessary - would she tolerate someone squeezing her upper arm a bit with their hands instead??

DD is absolutely petrified of even the idea of a needle and is in floods of tears over any scratch claiming it hurts A LOT. she is only five though. We had to have a bloodtest about 6 months ago and I told her we were going to play a game where she puts on some magic cream first, then waits a bit, then has to look away and if she keeps looking away until she is told she can look again seh gets a present. the looking away bit was because if she saw a needle all hell would have broken loose.

I know your DD is older and not so easily fooled but DD looked away and had no idea there was a needle being stuck in her arm AT ALL. So the cream worked perfectly- it was to easy it was unbelievable. I also know it works because she had had a test done two years previously, again while being distracted and made to look away, and again obviously felt nothing at all. She is totally pain intolerant so the numbing worked for her.

Any distraction that might work for your DD and the reassurance that the cream will mean she won't feel anything PLUS a promise of something if she is brave (it will have to be tempting!!!) should fingers crossed mean she will be OK.

We also didn't have a tourniquet but not sure if that's because DD is smaller. Best of luck

the cream does work, but for my ds3 who had to have them when he was 5, they put about 4 patches of the cream on in different places, to make sure they could get a vein i guess? anyway they then put a plaster type thing over the top so the cream didnt rub off etc. our experience was that having those plasters pulled off was more stressful than taking the blood!

at 12 tho your dd would be old enough to leave the cream alone and not touch it so iwouldnt need a plaster over the top?

no tourniquet used either.

Close to my heart this morning as we have just come back from the doctor and DD (9) had blood taken for the first time. No mention of magic cream here (we're in Oz) and she shed a few tears but was fine. She went straight from the doctors upstairs to the pathology place though so there wasn't really any time to get stressed about it.

Tbh my older boys have both had blood taken in the UK and the time between putting the cream on and waiting for it to take effect allowed them to be fearful in anticipation.

With DD I was pretty firm, said it would hurt a bit but it had to be done so the doctor could find out what is wrong with her (we think glandular fever) and she could have a DVD she particularly wanted after. Sometimes bribery is the only way

Ds is almost 12, has chronic illnesses and is petrified of needles. Unfortunately because of his illnesses he has required frequent blood tests. He has to be held down by multiple strong nurses (usually male and large) to get a needle into him. Last year when he had appendicitis, they had to gas him to get IV into him (not the order they really wanted to do it in). Magic cream doesn't even enter into it...it's not the hurt that he's afraid of... it's his imagination of what it could be. so I agree with Sunny...magic cream just gives more time to create hysteria. The last blood test ds had a few months ago, he said to me afterwards that taking the bandaid off hurt more than the needle going in.....Maybe he'll remember that for his next test (sometime in the next few months, I think)....
Dd is two years younger and is really just fine with jabs and things.