Blood tests for children.

[Angeliz]

Hello.
My dd is having a blood test next week ,(to check for antibodies against most of the boosters she's due). Anyway, that's not the issue but i am starting to fret a bit now on her behalf.
She's 3.6, how do they take blood at that age??

Angeliz- I presume it will be done at a paediatric clinic? They usually identify a couple of good veins, then cover them with "magic cream", which numbs the skin. A clear dressing holds the cream in place for around half an hour, then is removed and the cream wiped off. the skin underneath is often a little red by this point, but not sore. They should sit dd on your knee, with the hand/ arm they are going to use, coming out through your armpit, IYSWIM. Your job is to distract dd and hold her fairly firmly if asked too! The magic cream does work, but if she sees what they are doing, she may struggle anyway!

She had an operation last year and HATED the cream. I'm glad they do it though to numb the area.
Do they take from the hand or the inner elbow then??

My ds had a blood test done earlier this year and he got no special treatment! We just had to wait in line until it was his turn - may be different if you have an appointment system. They were verrrry nice to him though and I had already applied the magic cream myself at home in preparation and he didn't feel a thing so it was no problem. They found the vein in his elbow crease and I'd applied cream to both sides, just in case.
The cream is available to buy over the counter in Boots, though this isn't commonly known! It's called Ametop Gel and costs under £2 for one application tube - well worth the money IMO! HTH

Angeliz, the veins in the elbow crease are easier to find, usually, but that bit is much more difficult to keep still than the hand, so the hand is used unless the veins are invisible!