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As parents, when our kids get a vaccination, it?s easy to brush off their fears. ?It?ll just be a little poke,? we?ll say. Or, if they?ve reacted badly to previous shots, we might even put off or avoid vaccinations altogether. The truth is, shots can really hurt?both the initial jab and a sore arm afterwards. Rather than skirting the issue, it?s better to address the fear?and the pain?head on. The good news is, there?s lots of research-based ways that you can make shots hurt less for your kids. Here’s what to do, and what to avoid,when your child will be getting a shot.
1. Pick up a topical anaesthetic cream or patch in advance.
?Parents can buy this over the counter,? says Dr. Christine Chambers, a clinical psychologist at the Centre for Pediatric Pain Research in Halifax. You?ll need to know where the needle is going on the body, and it needs to be applied to the skin 30 to 60 minutes ahead of time. Dr. Chambers recommends asking the pharmacist to help show you how to put it on. 2. Breastfeed your baby before or during the shot.
Parents who breastfeed are lucky to have this secret weapon at their disposal. And all parents should hold very young infants skin to skin.
3. Use distraction tools.
Keep your child occupied with whatever reliably distracts them, like an iPad, your phone or a favourite book or toy. You could even ask them to look out a window or count dots on the wallpaper.
4. Don?t avoid talking to your child about the shot, and don?t sugar-co...