If you're working in healthcare with children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, here's an interesting article about developing a Needle Anxiety Program: A Patient-Centered Initiative for Individuals With Developmental Disabilities. We're happy to...
No one enjoys getting injections. And yet, over our lifetime there will likely be numerous times when our health will require a medical procedure that involves a needle; whether that’s immunisation, a blood test or...
What is Pain? Picture hitting your hand with a hammer. Since the discovery of the nerve, pain has been portrayed as an impulse traveling from hand to head, with concrete implications: if you can stop...
When former pediatric emergency physician Dr. Amy Baxter was in medical school, she said at the start of her talk at TED2023, there were only about two days dedicated to pain education. And the lecture...
Distraction toolboxes are full of toys, games, puzzles and pain relief devices that help children feel less anxious before, during and after medical tests and treatments. For a child having their first procedure, you want...
As Child Life Specialists, we support many children who have a fear of needles. This can make injections, port accesses, IV placements, and blood draws very difficult, anxiety-producing, and potentially traumatic for paediatric patients and...
As a paediatrician, I never thought injections were a big deal; I’ve seen parents and staff roll their eyes when a kid is freaking out about getting an injection. You know, ‘deal with it’. I...
