Do you thinks kids might be traumatized by getting shots? - Page 3

[Tari Mithrandir]

Originally Posted by mamakay

Some shots hurt way worse.

Yup, I will have blood drawn before I will get another shot. I can have blood drawn no problem, but shots hurt for DAYS, sometimes longer.

[CookieMonsterMommy]

A blood draw is generally way better, IMO, and according to everyone I've spoken with about it with.

#1-With a blood draw, you're not going in very deep. With shots, you're either going into the deep layers of the skin or you're going into the muscle. There's also the potential to hit a bone if the wrong length needle is used and/or the medical assistant or nurse is unskilled or just messes up.

#2 With a bood draw, a small amount of blood is being removed, which in and of itself does not hurt. With an injection, liquid (sometimes viscous and/or caustic) is being forced into your cells and tissues.

[LianneM]

omg I would rather have blood drawn every day for a month than get a shot. You can take it out but don't put anything in. <shudder>

[alllyssa]

I've wanted to post about this topic for a long time

I'm so glad the OP brought up this topic because it's one that I've wondered about for a long time. I, like so many of you, was held down as a child for shots. My mother actually had to bring my grandfather to the health dept. to hold me down when I went to get my boosters for kindergarten. I remember this experience vividly and when I discuss it, it brings tears to my eyes. Oh the helplessness and yes, I believe, trauma.

I also think that this is the main cause of my life long needle phobia and decision to give birth at home and avoid vaccinations (and circumcision) for my children. I don't mention this when people ask me about why we don't vaccinate, but I think I'll start including it in my reasons.

Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone!

[In Exile]

I would be careful to include "needles hurt" in any "why I don't vaccinate" soapbox speech of mine...because it won't "reach" the recipient the way I mean it and will turn out to be a "not only they want to keep their special child safe, but also keep them away from needles-so that we, the good parents can hurt our children by doing the right thing yaddayaddayadda".

I wouldn't give that kind of ammunition, because I know how stuff gets turned around against you, it's the "yeah, because we vaccinate and poke our children with needles, you can keep your's painfree and pure, you parasite". I can just hear it, unfortunately.

[Swirly]

I think it can be traumatic and create trust issues, for sure.

My dd, who has never had a shot, loves to go to the doctor, LoL. They have hurt her before though, blood draws on a couple of ccoasions, a procedure that was painful, and looking in her infected ears a couple of times was owie. Mama cried. I never like to see her hurting.

[mamakay]

The way I look at it is, the AAP and the CDC don't consider the the trauma of shots as being worthy of being brought into the equation, but I, as the mother, absolutely must.

They consider all that 100% irrelevant, but I do not, and will not.

It's not "the one and only" deciding factor for me, but I'm not ashamed of factoring it into my decisions. Nobody else besides us is looking out for our babies here. The AAP/CDC think it's fine if your baby gets 7 shots in a day. We are completely on our
own here.

Let me say it again:
We are totally on our own here. Our pedis and the CDC could hardly care less about the pain and trauma of shots. They would give our kids 10 shots a day, every day, all year, if it would, in theory, have a good predicted outcome. The trauma of shots never has and never will matter to them.
The CDC/AAP doesn't believe kids can be traumatized by shots.
So if you believe differently, you're on your own.

[wallacesmum]

That's a good point, MK. It's easy to let our intuition about health get run over by the allopathic know-it-all aproach: that it must be quantifiable to be meaningful.

Pain is a very real part of the body's biochemical function, with ramifications outside of its specific location.

[leila1213]

Well, do keep in mind that all the spiffy combination shots that they are coming up with are supposedly with the intention of reducing the number of shots per visit...Not that they came up with this brilliant idea themselves. Obviously it stems from parents' concerns at the number of shots, and pharma's concerns at not being able to continuously inflate the number of vaxes given if they can't find a way to alleviate the parents' concerns at the number of shots.

[Deborah]

one other factor in the combo shots: patents/money

older versions of shots are not money makers: look at the single measles and the single rubella and the single mumps--patents have expired on all of them

the ideal for the drug companies would be new combos coming out every time the patents are about to expire on the old ones

from that point of view serotype replacement is a great blessing--Prevnar can be replaced, legitimately, with a new vaccine at an even higher price, containing several added antigens, which are now causing disease

clever

[FullMetalMom]

The last time I took Jo to get a shot, the DTap, she began crying as soon as they touched the alcohol pad to her leg. Then I had to hold her still while they gave her the shot and she was hysterical. She was terrified. I got home, called my hubby and told him that the both of us had been traumatized by the situation and that I just don't think its right to hold her down against her will and do that to her. So I don't think we're getting shots anymore. It was the fourth time she had a shot, and she's been getting one at a time. I can't imagine those poor babies who gets several shots at once. I'm really beginning to think that its child abuse to forcibly hold them down and hurt them like that. I mean, what's the difference between that and torture?

[Teenytoona]

I think it can be traumatizing. I don't remember it being so for me. I'm not the sort who can remember toddlerhood and younger, but I do remember getting something when I was kid age, and not being upset by it. But, then my life had a lot of pain in it, I don't think a shot came close.

I think it can be more traumatizing if the parents are rough while holding down, lie about the pain, expect no tears, demanding the kid to suck it up etc. I can imagine the whole experience makes the actual shot much worse.

I think if one decides to vaccinate, there are for sure ways to make the process easier. It doesn't have to be mom pinning the kid, nurse making light of the process and child screaming for dear life while being told to shut their mouths. Frankly acknowledging that it will hurt, is far better than pretending it's ok, it just feels like a mosquito bite. Letting the kid be upset and cry, not shaming them into silence (or attempting to). And if there is a need to hold them down, it can sure be done in a gentle and "I'm lending you my support" way than a "strap you down" way. I think also, no matter how old, talking to the child about it afterward acknowledges their feelings and help them work through the pain of the shot and the process is a much more productive way to do it.

[GooeyRN]

I think they can be traumatizing if the child is told it wont hurt, is not allowed to roll play, etc. I was never traumatized about it. My parents did not lie to me and tell me it would not hurt. They told me what would happen, it would hurt, and described the feeling. They then told me I will be sore after wards, but the intense pain will stop shortly after the needle comes out. I do not fear dr.'s/nurses for that reason now. I never really found the pain from a shot to be severe, though.

We selectively/delay vax and describe everything to my kids, too. We roll play as well. They know exactly what will happen at the dr.'s office. One of my things, is I refuse to restrain my kids. I have the nurse do that. I do the comforting afterwards. We then do something fun afterwards.

[cravenab00]

absolutely.

the lying part is just as bad. "this wont hurt!" and then holding them down. ick.

i still remember when my parents said we were going to dairy queen and then took me to get my kindergarten shots

i remember being like 9 and having to go get a Hep A immuneglobulin because my dad had it. and i was arguing with my mom that i'd rather just get the virus, because my dad wasnt that sick. but they hauled me in to get it anyway, SO THEY DIDNT HAVE TO MISS WORK TO TAKE CARE OF ME.

i remember the look of betrayal in my kids eyes when i let them get shots before i knew better

[Teenytoona]

Originally Posted by GooeyRN

I think they can be traumatizing if the child is told it wont hurt, is not allowed to roll play, etc. I was never traumatized about it. My parents did not lie to me and tell me it would not hurt. They told me what would happen, it would hurt, and described the feeling. They then told me I will be sore after wards, but the intense pain will stop shortly after the needle comes out. I do not fear dr.'s/nurses for that reason now. I never really found the pain from a shot to be severe, though.

We selectively/delay vax and describe everything to my kids, too. We roll play as well. They know exactly what will happen at the dr.'s office. One of my things, is I refuse to restrain my kids. I have the nurse do that. I do the comforting afterwards. We then do something fun afterwards.

Thanks GooeyRN! This is comforting to know someone's experienced a supportive approach and came through it ok.

[MyBoysBlue]

I don't really remember my shots very much. I do remember getting them when I was older like six for school. I don't remember it hurting or even being held down at all. I got it done on my own as my Mom had my sister with us and was holding her for her shots.

What I do remember is getting blood taken and fainting when I was 16 and I ended up on the floor. Ever since then I hate getting blood taken. I insist they let me lay down for it and I can't watch. I had gotten blood taken before I fainted and it never bothered me, I used to love watching. I even had IV's and such before then. But since then I have a phobia of needles.

I do think one horrible experience can cause a phobia but I don't think shots themselves are a horrible experience. But it can be made into one depending on how they are performed.

The the pain from the shots have not played in any way into our vaccination decisions.

[loveyourohana]

I don't think its all in how the performance goes either.

You ask someone in the military how they feel after being shot up with the same shots your giving your babies.

I have heard many say it was a horrible experience, and they felt like crap for months.

Soooo... I honestly think that it is the fact past the needle that causes trauma. Anyone saying that a baby doesn't have the ability to think that way... well, they sure remember when they get into the office don't they!