Techniques to comfort children during stressful procedures

Abstract

Medical procedures can be unpleasant experiences for children, their parents, and health care providers. We present this model of working with children having invasive procedures with the aim of helping to increase the comfort of infants and children and also parents and medical staff. The model has five parts: (1) Preparing the child and parent for the procedure and for their role during the procedure; (2) inviting the parent/caregiver to be present; (3) utilizing the treatment room for stressful procedures; (4) positioning the child in a comforting manner; and (5) maintaining a calm, positive atmosphere.