Our little special Angels need much more medical attention, control and awareness like other kids. They can be so sensitive, their immune system tends to be weak, they can develop many abnormal symptoms. Constant medical appointments, consultations, and a scheduled blood work is essential for them every 6 months. Blood work can be very tricky and difficult and a very sensitive issue for PWS kids and adults so it is good to know how to get prepared for a less painful and more successful blood prick.
The Challenges with Blood Work for PWS Children The muscles of a PWS child’s is floppy/hypotonic and the same applies to their veins! It means that the wall of the vein has less stability and less stiffness so in many cases, it can be extremely difficult to find and prick it. Also, PWS child’s fat mass index tends to be much higher than normal, therefore, their veins are very deeply hiding what means the physicians/nurses a huge challenge when it is about blood pricks. Also, PWS children very often are extremely anxious when it comes to medical appointments and might not understand what is going to happen with them. The frequent behavior issues make these appointments even harder and stressful.
Preparing for a Blood Stick with a PWS Child Therefore it is very important to be well prepared for a blood stick as it would mean a tremendous help for your child, yourself, and also for the physician to cope with the situation. After consulting with some parents and also some physicians/nurses, please check the list of the best advices for a blood stick with a PWS child. I recommend you to go through on this list below every time before you go to the check-up blood test with your child; it might help you all!
Tips for Preparing Your Child for a Blood Test
- GET A NUMBING CREAM: Before the blood test, get a prescription from your pediatrician for numbing ointment. This may help a lot.
- CALL THE LAB BEFORE!: Explain your situation and the difficulties you will need extra attention and awareness with. Also, tell them you will need two nurses to help you and that you would like the most experienced nurse to handle your child. If your child is a very hard case, you can ask when the NICU nurse is there and go directly to her. Ask them what is that time frame when the waiting time is the least so your child does not have to wait, which is the most difficult with anxiety. In some cases the nurse is happy to send a photo of herself or the room where the blood prick will be.
- PLENTY OF WATER!: Make sure your child is extremely well hydrated! 24 hours before the blood prick starts, give lots of water for your child to “fill up” his/her veins.
- EDUCATE YOUR CHILD: You can do several things beforehand to educate your child about a blood test. As awareness and understanding are very important also for your child. You can play doctor at home, show your child some books or YouTube videos, pictures on the topic and about other kids having blood pricks. This might help them emotionally and mentally to understand what is going to happen.
- GET HIS/HER TREAT BEFOREHAND!: Get a treat beforehand as a prize what you can give your child right after the blood work for the good job. This might also help him to link the blood test appointments with something nice in his brain, what he/she likes so next time he would cooperate more.
- TAKE A HEALTHY SNACK WITH YOU: If your child has to make a fasting blood test, do not forget to take some healthy snack with you (ideas for healthy snacks is coming soon at the recipes section) what would give him/her immediate and sufficient energy until you get home.
- ALLOWING REST TO AVOID OVERSTIMULATION AFTER BLOOD PRICK: It is recommended to avoid scheduling any additional activities for your child on the day of a blood prick, even something fun. This is because a blood prick can be a stressful event for a child, and it can cause them to feel exhausted and have increased levels of stress hormones in their body. This may make them more likely to have a meltdown, so it is better to avoid additional activities to prevent this from happening. It is important to prioritize your child’s well-being and give them time to rest and recover after the blood prick.
