It is common for children and teens to report feeling pain or fear with medical procedures, especially those involving needles. This fear can often affect your child’s emotional response to medical experiences. Creating a plan and teaching your child about what to expect beforehand may help your child overcome these fears, promote a sense of security, and help them cope with the process.

In an effort to reassure your child, caregivers often soften language or leave out information. However, withholding information from children can create increased worry or fear since what they imagine can often be different or worse than reality.

Child life specialists at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta help patients cope with shots and painful procedures every day at our hospitals, so they have created a list to help caregivers support their child or teen who may be facing a fear of needle procedures:

Preparing for shots

• Share honest, simple information with your child or teen before they receive their shots. Explain that shots may feel like a poke or pinch, but that it won’t hurt for long.
• Be patient. Children, teens and adults may react in different ways when facing new or fearful situations. Remember that changes in behaviors will typically improve following the event.
• Ask questions. Talk to your child’s doctor about what to expect at the appointment and afterward. The key to preparing your child is for you to feel prepared as well.
• Plan ways to help them cope by letting them choose if they would like to bring a comfort item to their appointment or what they would like to do for distraction.
• Tell the staff what helps your child. You know your child best, so it is important to communicate your child’s individual needs to their team.

Supporting your child or teen during shots

• Talk in a calm, soothing voice.
• Let your child know that it is okay to be scared or to cry, but remain positive and encouraging to your child.
• Reinforce your child’s “job” (e.g., holding still) and coping choices. Praise them before, during and after the procedure for specific behaviors. For example, “You did a great job sitting still!”

Infants

During the appointment

• Use comfort positioning: Swaddle or hold your baby during the injection.
• Ask your pediatrician if they can provide sucrose, or sugar water, before the “poke.”
• Feed your baby or provide them with a pacifier to suck during the injection.
• Provide a distraction such as singing or shushing.
• Ask your pediatrician if they have a vibration device to help minimize needle pain.

Toddlers

Before the appointment

• Be honest. Talk to your child about the procedure by explaining what they will see, feel and hear.
• Bring your child’s comfort item such as a blanket or stuffed animal.

During the appointment

• Use comfort positioning: Sit your child in your lap facing you or sit their back to your chest and hug around your child’s arms.
• Provide a distraction by singing a song, reading a story or watching a favorite show on a mobile device or tablet.
• Ask your pediatrician if they have a vibration device to help minimize needle pain.
• Hold or snuggle your child after the injection.

Preschoolers

Before the appointment

• Reassure your child that they are receiving the injection in order to stay healthy, not because they did anything wrong. Children this age can often think “magically” and assume that something they did caused the situation.
• Be honest and use age-appropriate language.
• Play with your child beforehand. Try using medical play kits to explore their feelings and spot any misconceptions they may have about the doctor’s office.
• Read age-appropriate books about the doctor’s office beforehand such as: “The Berenstain Bears Go to the Doctor,” “Daniel Visits the Doctor,” and “It’s Time for your Checkup.”

During the appointment

• Use comfort positioning: Sit them in your lap or next to you.
• Give them choices when possible such as which arm or leg they want the shot in and counting or no counting prior to the “poke.”
• Provide a distraction by playing a game like “I Spy,” matching games on a mobile device or tablet, and using “Look and Find” books.
• Ask your pediatrician if they have a vibration device to help minimize needle pain.
• Practice deep breathing—pretend you are blowing out your birthday candles or blow bubbles or a pinwheel.

School age and pre-teens

Before the appointment

• Be honest and use age-appropriate language.
• Talk to your child about the procedure by explaining what they will see, feel and hear.
• Reassure your child that they are receiving the injection in order to stay healthy, not because they did anything wrong. Children this age can often think “magically” and assume that something they did caused the situation.

During the appointment

• Use comfort positioning: Sit them in your lap or next to you.
• Give them choices when possible such as which arm or leg they want the shot in and counting or no counting prior to the “poke.”
• Provide a distraction by picking a favorite place or thing to talk about, squeezing a ball, listening to music or playing a game.
• Ask your pediatrician if they have a vibration device to help minimize needle pain.
• Practice deep breathing—pretend you are blowing out your birthday candles or blow bubbles or a pinwheel.

Teens

During the appointment

• Be honest: Include them in the conversation and encourage them to ask questions.
• Give them privacy. Ask your teen if they’d like you to step out of the room. Remember that adolescents can be protective of their body and their emotions.
• Provide a distraction by picking a favorite place or thing to talk about, squeezing a ball, listening to music or playing a game.
• Ask your pediatrician if they have a vibration device to help minimize needle pain.
• Practice deep breathing—pretend you are blowing out your birthday candles or blow bubbles or a pinwheel.

Vaccines play an important role in staying healthy. By using these tips, caregivers can reduce the worry or fear around getting a vaccine or other needle procedure.