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There are many ways to help your child stop being afraid of needles. One way is to let your child take a deep breath and second is to distract him/her with jokes, music, or anything that lets their attention to be on something else other than the needle. You can also distract them by counting and pretending that they are playing a game with your doctor.
Don’t make promises for “no shots” any time you are going to the clinic. If you make and break that promise, trust is broken. Don’t joke about the doctor or nurse giving a shot as punishment either.
Fear of needles is real. Validate your child when he states he is terrified.
So, consider deep breathing and other behavioral modifications, including distraction at the time of injections, to support your child. ‘I offer the cough trick to all of my patients and teens nervous about shots. Studies (and reports from my patients) confirm it works brilliantly!’1
Dr. Khalil Osta
Assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at HHUMC
