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Top parenting stories this week
Is your baby in pain?
From needles to ear infections, here's how to make the hurt go away
by: Sydney Loney
In This Article
Children's Pain Relief
- Your baby may be in pain if she is eating less, seems fussier than usual, or repeatedly brings her hands to a sore spot.
- Your toddler can usually tell you when they’re hurt, and may also be able to show you where it hurts.
- During an immunization, the best approach is to distract an older child by counting to ten together, or blowing bubbles. You can also breastfeed infants or feed them sugar water.
- Most pain medications come in drops for infants, liquid for toddlers, and chewable tablets for older children.
craped knees and the occasional ouch are probably part of your child’s regular routine, but how do you know when her pain is something a kiss can’t make better? “Kids often aren’t able to express where, or how badly, it hurts,” says Dr. Christine Chambers, a pediatric psychologist at the Centre for Pediatric Pain Research in Halifax. Here’s how to tell when your child is hurt–and what you can do to make it better.
How to tell when your child is in pain
When it comes to diagnosing your child’s pain, trust your instincts. “Parents know their children best and often realize fairly quickly that something isn’t right,” says Dr. Chambers. How children communicate pain depends on their age.
Infants: Look for changes in behaviour: if your baby is eating less, seems fussier than usual, or repeatedly brings her hands to a sore spot–an infant might repeatedly touch her ear if she has an ear infection, for example.
Toddlers: By ages two and three, you can usually ask your child directly if she’s in pain using the words she uses. “So ask things like, “do you have an ‘ouchie’ or ‘booboo,’” says Dr. Chambers. She may also be able to show you where it hurts by pointing to her tummy if she has a stomachache, for example.
