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Original poster

DD one years old to have blood taken - advise please

17 replies

Tippytoes · 11/06/2008 13:26

My dd, one next week, has got to have some tests done as she is very small and doesn't put on weight. I have been to the hospital this morning and they say they want to take blood for numerous tests on her liver, kidneys, etc. - I am such a wuss that I have rearranged it for next week when i can take someone with me as I can't face watching her have this done. Please reassure me that there is nothing to it? How do they stop her wriggling around?

Thanks

OP posts:
tkband3 · 11/06/2008 13:37

As she is so little, they will put some cream on her arms (think it is called Emla cream) to anaesthetise the specific area. They put big square sticky plasters over the cream to stop it going everywhere and to keep it in place so that it works. You will have to wait for it to take effect - can't remember I'm afraid if this is one or two hours - so make sure you take some toys, books etc to pass the time!

Once the cream is working, she will sit on your lap while they take the blood. When DD1 has blood tests, we try and distract her with a book - sort of blocking her view as best we can, although the last time she was fascinated by the blood going from her arm!

It is not pleasant watching your child have something like this done and I don't blame you for taking someone else with you for support, but I'm sure your DD will not feel a thing and will be less traumatised than you are .

Good luck.

MaryAnnSingleton · 11/06/2008 13:40

I sympathise greatly with you Tippytoes - it's not a nice thing but the Emla cream is very good and you can distract her with toys and books and they'll probably get her to wrap her arms around you -so she won't see (don't you look either !) and they'll take the blood with a little butterfly needle...
ds has had blood test every year (now 11) and it's always a bit of a trauma for me as I a,m a huge wuss.Take someone with you if you can and try not to worry, it'll be fine

theyoungvisiter · 11/06/2008 13:41

My DS had some blood taken at a year - he squeaked when it was going in but was running around the play area 2 minutes later. It was no worse than a vaccination, I promise.

How they do it I think varies from place to place - at the hospital DS went to they used the anasthetic cream that tkband talks about but then they kind of sat him on my lap facing sideways with one arm around my waist, clamped under my arm.

One nurse then went behind me and took the blood from the arm I had clamped behind my back, so DS couldn't see what was going on. The other nurse stayed around the front and read a book to DS while this was going on, he barely registered it apart from teh initial yelp!

whomovedmychocolate · 11/06/2008 13:44

They try and do it with butterflies in the back of the hand these days and use anaesthetic cream. I breastfed DD when she was having hers taken and that worked. The hardest bit was getting her to stay still!

marge2 · 11/06/2008 14:04

anaesthetic cream - plaster - what everyone else has already said. My DS sat facing me with his arms wrapped around me - he didn't even notice the needle and I didn't look either as I was talking to him to distract him. No problem!

When the time comes I'm sure your maternal instinct to 'be there' for your LO will overtake any squeamishness you might have, and the less of a deal you make of it the less of a deal it will seem to your LO.

Good luck!

cmotdibbler · 11/06/2008 14:08

When DS had bloods done last year (aged 1), the consultant said that at that age they actually found that distraction was the best technique, rather than EMLA. He sat on my lap and the consultant took the blood from a vein in his foot as he said it was the safest place in small children. The nurses blew bubbles, so he was concentrating on those. He cried for oh, 30 seconds if that.

annoyingdevil · 11/06/2008 14:13

My dd had blood taken at that age (suspected peanut allergy). She didn't even notice. distraction is the key

silverfrog · 11/06/2008 14:19

I'm just back from taking dd2 to the hospital for the same reason, tippytoes.

She had "magic" cream put on her hands (held in place with a clear plaster, as described by others), and then we played in the playroom for 45 mins while the cream took effect.

Then, she sat on my lap facing in to me, and I held her as thugh giving her a cuddle, while the nurse held her hand (which was under my arm so she could not see) and the doc stood behind me and took the blood. Dd2 still cried, but it was because she hates having her hands held, so it was out of frustration, not pain. Once she realised she could not move her hand away, she settled down, and sat happily cuddling me while they took the blood.

hope it all goes well next week

Original poster
Tippytoes · 11/06/2008 17:17

Thank you so much for your replies, I feel a lot more reassured now. They did say they would use cream, but couldn't rememober the name of it as there was one cream for under one years of age and one cream for over which is better, less irritant, which they are going to use. 45 minutes is what they said too.

I will try and be brave! And also hope that these tests all come back negative!

OP posts:
MaryAnnSingleton · 11/06/2008 17:21

ds had the emla cream and it made his arm very red and sore as a reaction, it might be wise to ask gp for a prescription of it to try first at home...ds isn't an allergic boy but his skin can be sensitive.

VictorianSqualor · 11/06/2008 17:25

My MiL is a paediatric phlebotomist at a children's hospital.
Please try not to worry, they will do everything they can not to scare her or hurt her.

MaryAnnSingleton · 11/06/2008 17:29

yes, everyone is always so kind and patient with ds and he gets into a dreadful pickle - it's the anticipation of the thing yet the actual prick he never feels and is surprised that the blood has actually been taken.

joash · 11/06/2008 17:34

GS has blood tests regularly and has been having them since he was 5 months old - the staff are usually brilliant with small children. I found that being totally honest with him worked better than anything else and used to sit "oooing and aaaing" as the blood filled the tubs. He was quite fascinated, even when very young.

MaryAnnSingleton · 11/06/2008 17:42

tubs of blood joash ?!!

joash · 11/06/2008 17:57

lol - should have read tubes My fingers take on a life of their own when using a keyboard

andiem · 11/06/2008 18:02

the other cream is called ametop so they will probably use that it works a bit quicker than emla

shelleylou · 11/06/2008 18:21

My ds had to have blood tests a few months ago hes just over one. I was given the choice of cream which would take 30 minutes to take effect or a spray that worked immediately.

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