The fear of needles, or needle phobia, can be quite a barrier to getting blood work done and getting shots for immunizations. For children, it is important to educate and familiarize them with what happens at the doctor's office and the hospital, and to give the positive message that the doctor and nurse are there to help your child be healthy, and that doctor's offices and hospitals are places where people go to get better when they are sick. Role playing what happens at the doctor's office, and pretending to be the doctor and patient- you and your child take turns who is going to be the patient, and who is going to be the doctor. What this does is that it exposes your child to the fear of needles, so the more you educate and talk about what happens at the doctor's office, the more exposed your child will be, and the actual doctor visit will be less scary as the child is able to familiarize themselves with the process. People are generally less afraid of things they are familiar with.
Another important technique for the fear of needles is to apply a topical anesthetic, such as EMLA topical cream, to numb the area so that any pain from the injection is minimized. You can apply it one hour before the injection, but make sure to ask the doctor or nurse on how to apply it, and where to apply it. You can educate your child on the EMLA topical cream, as this can reduce the pain the injection may produce.
