A laboratory visit can be a stressful experience for a child. Tell your child about the tests in advance. This helps ease the child’s fear and anxiety related to the laboratory tests. The booklet below is intended for helping the child prepare for their appointment. You can download it here or find it at one of our larger service locations.
Before the visit
- Book an appointment for sample collection. For a child you need to book a longer appointment from section “Blood tests and/or urine tests and/or electrocardiogram (ECG)” or two consecutive appointments from section “Blood tests”.
- Tell your child in advance that the needle can hurt or sting a little. It is important that the child will not be surprised by the pain.
- You can numb the injection site before the appointment. Numbing creams sold in pharmacies without a prescription are suitable for this purpose.
- Follow the instructions and apply the “magic ointment” on the bends of both elbows before the appointment.
Sample collection
Distracting the child during the sample collection can help relieve their tension. For example, the child can bring a comforting toy to the laboratory. You can also hum or sing the child their favourite song.
It is important that the parent remains calm during the appointment. The child can sense the parent’s nervousness. The parent may also stay in the waiting room for the duration of the sample collection.
Read your child stories about the subject to ease their anxiety.
Book recommendations (in Finnish):
- Veera lääkärissä, Aino Havukainen ja Sami Toivonen, 2012
- Roosa sairaalassa, Tuula Portin ja Susanna Sinivirta, 2016
- Auts, tohtori Tilkka!, Annet Rudolph, 2016
- Milla menee lääkäriin, Aline de Pétigny, 2005
- Heippa – täällä bakteeri!, Pentti Huovinen, 2007
