Library Services: Pediatric pain guide for caregivers: Acute pain

What you can do: Overview

Online
Borrow from the FSRC

Acute pain: How to treat and manage in young children (by SickKids Hospital)
Learn how to support your child (up to age 6) when they experience acute pain. Discusses physical, psychological, and pharmacological (medication) methods.
Acute pain: How to treat and manage in older children (by SickKids Hospital)
Learn how to support your child aged 6-12 when they experience acute pain. Discusses physical, psychological, and pharmacological (medication) methods.
Pain at home: Taking care of your child (by SickKids Hospital)
This guide explains how to assess whether your child is in pain, and how you can help with pain medicine, physical comfort measures, and distraction.
Pain, Pain, Go Away: Helping children with pain (by Patrick McGrath, Allen Finley, and Judith Ritchie, 2003)
Online booklet that explains what pain is, how to measure pain in children, and how to help children manage pain using medicine and psychological or physical methods.
Pain Learning Hub: Acute Pain (by SickKids Hospital, Toronto)
Use the drop-down menu to explore how to assess and manage your child's acute pain.

A Child in Pain: What health professionals can do to help by Leora Kuttner
Fears and anxiety can make pain management and recovery more difficult. This book examines children's fears and anxieties around pain, and explains how to help calm them. Written for professionals, but also useful for parents.
Everybody stay calm : How to support your young child through medical tests and procedures by Angela Mackenzie
This book explains how you can make your child's medical procedures less scary and painful. Includes strategies to build your confidence in healthcare settings, collaborate with healthcare providers, and prepare your child for tests and procedures.
MInd-body techniques Helping children to cope with painful procedures by Dr. Leora Kuttner et al
This book features reflections and case studies by clinicians trained to use a range of mind-body techniques that have been shown, through research, to relieve pain and anxiety and to empower children and their parents to cope with distressing invasive procedures and medical interventions.

Medical procedures

Ways you can help children cope during treatments and procedures
This poster explains how parents can help children cope during procedures. Also gives examples of how to use praise and rewards.
Supporting your child through a brief medical procedure (by the Canadian Paediatric Society)
This web page explains how you can support your child before, during, and after a medical procedure.
Pain relief: Comfort kit (by SickKids Hospital)
A comfort kit is a collection of toys and other objects that can help to soothe your child when they are in pain. This guide suggests items to include, and activities to do.

Video below: Distraction in action: Helping your child during a medical procedure (2:56, by University of Iowa Children's Hospital)
This video explains how you can prepare to comfort your child during procedures. Includes how to choose distraction items, comfort positions, and what you can say to your child.

Needle poke procedures

How to minimize the pain of needle pokes with numbing cream
Learn when and how to use numbing cream (EMLA, AMETOP, and other topical anesthetics).
A better immunization experience for your child (HealthLink BC)
Learn how to prepare your child for a vaccine, and how to comfort them during an immunization.
Numbing creams and patches for immunizations (HealthLink BC)
Numbing patches and creams can reduce immunization discomfort in infants, toddlers, older children, and adults. Learn how to use these over-the-counter medications.
How to help when your child needs to get a needle poke (by ECHO and ARCHE, University of Alberta)
This infographic shows parents the difference between bloodwork and IVs, and gives age-specific advice for helping children.
Reduce the pain of vaccination in children: A parent's guide (by SickKids Hospital)
This series of 8 videos explain how parents can reduce vaccination pain for their children. Includes tips on preparing at home, and what to do at the doctor's office or clinic.
Reduce the pain of vaccination in children and teens: A guide for parents (by HELP eliminate pain in kids & adults, SickKids Hospital, and Immunize Canada)
This pamphlet explains how you can plan ahead to reduce your child's discomfort during vaccination. Learn what you can do, what you can give, and how you can act to help your child.

Video below: It doesn't have to hurt (2:18, by IWK Health)
This video from the Centre for Pediatric Pain Research explains how to distract your child, encourage deep breathing, and use numbing creams to ease pain from needles. It also explains what not to do or say during pokes.

LifeLabs: Serving patients with Autism
Blood tests can cause anxiety in people with ASD. LifeLabs offers Autism appointments to create safe and positive experiences. Trained staff, soothing light options, and calming tools and techniques support patients and families with ASD.
Injection success: Making routine injections a part of life (Montreal Children's Hospital)
This guide is for parents and caregivers of children that need regular injections. Tips include building routines, comforting your child at different ages, building a family team approach, and giving injections away from home.
Getting a joint injection
This picture book prepares children for a joint injection in the Medical Day Unit at BC Children's. Using simple language and photos, the story explains who the child will meet, and what will happen during the procedure.

Infants and young children: Preparing for a positive experience (ImmunizeBC)
Find tips on preparing your infant or child up to age 3. Learn what to do before their needle poke, and how you can comfort your child during an immunization.
Reduce the pain of vaccination in babies - A guide for parents (by SickKids hospital)
This playlist of 8 videos shows what you can do, what you can give, and how you can act to help your baby.
Comforting your baby in Intensive Care (by Prof. Linda Franck, University of California San Francisco)
This online booklet explains how you can partner with your baby's Intensive Care team to comfort your child.
Reduce the pain of vaccination in children under 3 years old: A guide for parents (by HELP eliminate pain in kids & adults, SickKids Hospital, and Immunize Canada)
This pamphlet explains how you can plan ahead to reduce your baby's discomfort during vaccination. Learn what you can do, what you can give, and how you can act to help your baby.
Newborns and babies (by the Meg Foundation)
A collection of resources to help you support your baby (age 0-24 months) during a needle poke.
Toddlers (by the Meg Foundation)
A collection of resources to help you support your toddler (age 2-5 years) during a needle poke or medical procedure.

Video below: Reduce your infant's pain during newborn blood tests (4:23, by Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario)
Learn techniques to reduce pain from blood draws in the first month of life.

Video below: The power of a parent's touch (2:39, by IWK Health Centre)
Learn how to use breastfeeding and skin-to-skin to comfort your baby during painful procedures.

School-age children and teens: Preparing for a positive experience (ImmunizeBC)
Find tips on preparing your child for their needle poke, and how you can comfort them during an immunization.
SuperMeg! (by the Meg Foundation)
SuperMeg is a planning tool that can help your child control their pain during a needle poke. A parent can enter their email address. Then, SuperMeg asks your child a series of questions, to help them plan how they will cope with the poke. After the child completes the questions, SuperMeg emails you (the adult) your child's poke plan. You can share this plan with your child's care provider.
Elementary school age (by the Meg Foundation)
A collection of resources to help you support your child (age 6-11 years) during a needle poke, or medical procedure like a nasal swab.
Little Louis: A culturally relevant vaccination story (by Morning Star Lodge, Les Filles de Madeleine [Sask Métis Women], Star Blanket Cree Nation, & SKIP)
With the help of family, Little Louis prepares for his vaccination. He faces his fears with a story about a Métis leader, Gabriel Dumont. Includes paper doll template.
Little Rhea: A culturally relevant vaccination story (by Morning Star Lodge, Les Filles de Madeleine [Sask Métis Women], Star Blanket Cree Nation, & SKIP)
With the help of family, Little Rhea prepares for her vaccination. She learns how little Louis prepared, and uses the same strategy. Pair this book with 'Little Louis.' Includes paper doll template.

School-age children and teens: Preparing for a positive experience (ImmunizeBC)
Find tips on preparing your child for their needle poke, and how you can comfort them during an immunization.
Adults: Preparing for a positive experience (ImmunizeBC)
Find tips on preparing yourself for a needle poke, and how to comfort yourself during the immunization.
Adults: Managing needle fears (ImmunizeBC)
These tips for adults receiving needle pokes can also work with older children.
Teens and tweens (by the Meg Foundation)
A collection of resources to help you support your teen (age 12 years and older) during a needle poke, or medical procedure.

Surgery

Welcome to procedures at BC Children's Hospital
This picture book prepares children for a procedure at BC Children's Hospital. Using simple language and photos, the story explains who the child will meet, and what will happen when they come to hospital. The book also includes links to videos, and what your child can expect if they stay overnight.
Tips to help your baby cope with surgery
For infants up to 1 year
Tips to help your child cope with surgery - Toddler
For children aged 1-2 years
Tips to help your child cope with surgery - Preschooler
For children aged 3-5 years
Tips to help your child cope with surgery - School aged
For children aged 6-12 years
Tips to help your child cope with surgery - Teen
For teens aged 13 and older
Tips to help your child cope with a brother's or sister's surgery
For siblings of children having surgery

First 24 hours after a general anesthetic
What to expect as your child recovers from general anesthetic. Learn when to get help.
First 24 hours after a general anesthetic (Simplified Chinese)
First 24 hours after a general anesthetic (Traditional Chinese)
First 24 hours after a general anesthetic (Punjabi)
First 24 hours after a general anesthetic (Vietnamese)

Regional interventions

After your child's nerve block
Learn what to expect if your child has a nerve block after surgery, and how to care for them. This document explains what is normal, how to care for your child, and when to get help.
After your child's caudal block
Learn what to expect when your child receives a caudal nerve block, how to care for your child while the block is working, and when to get help.
Peripheral nerve block (elastomeric pump) information sheet
An elastomeric pump brings numbing medication to the nerves in the arm or leg. This is called a peripheral nerve block. Learn how the pump works, and about the benefits and risks of peripheral nerve blocks.
Caring for your child with an elastomeric pump: information sheet
Learn how to care for your child with an elastomeric pump after surgery. This document also explains what to expect, how to remove the catheter, and when to get help.
Using a continuous nerve block infusion pump at home
A continuous nerve block pump gives your child a steady dose of pain medicine after their surgery. Learn how to care for your child with a nerve block, how to take care of the pump, how to remove the catheter, and when to get help.
Learning about caudal blocks for children (HealthLink BC)
Learn how a caudal block is done, and what to expect after your child has a caudal block.

Pain medication infusions

Continuous Morphine Infusion (CMI)
This is a way of giving pain medicine to your child after surgery. A pump pushes a stable amount of medicine into your child’s blood stream.
Continuous Epidural Analgesia (CEA)
This is a way of giving pain medicine to your child during and after surgery. The medicine goes into the spinal cord and acts directly on the nerves. The medicine is started during surgery, and given for as long as is needed. It is usually stopped after 3 or 4 days.
Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA)
This is a way of giving pain medicine to your child after surgery. Your child can control the amount of medicine they receive into their blood stream, using a button.

General information

Pain after an operation: Taking care of your child's pain at home (by SickKids Hospital)
Explains how to assess your child's pain, even if they are not talking about it. Learn how to care for your child while they are taking pain medicine, and how to reduce pain without medicine.
My child is in pain (by WellChild, Edge Hill University, University of Central Lancashire, Royal College of Nursing, and OCB Media (UK); and University of California San Francisco (US))
This website includes videos of parents and tips for assessing and managing your child's pain after day surgery.

Learn with your child

Video below: For kids 5-8 years old: What is pain? (4:28, by C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Michigan)
Denver the therapy dog explains what pain is, how to talk to adults about your pain, and what can help when you hurt.

Video below: For kids 8-12 years old: What is pain? (4:48, by C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Michigan)
Denver the therapy dog explains what pain is, how to talk to adults about your pain, and what can help when you hurt.

SuperMeg!
SuperMeg can help you control your pain during a needle poke. You will need your parent or guardian to enter their email address. Then, SuperMeg asks you questions, to help you plan to cope with the poke. SuperMeg creates a poke plan that you can share with your health care team.

Video below: Learning how to manage pain during medical procedures (12:58, by Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford)
You will learn how children can manage pain during procedures like blood draws, and how parents can help. You and your child can also download and complete a pain management game plan.

Video below: For kids 5-8 years old: Treating pain without medicine (2:43, by C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Michigan)
Denver the therapy dog and his friends talk about how distraction and relaxation can help with pain.

Video below: For kids 8-12 years old: Treating pain without medicine (2:43, by C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Michigan)
Denver the therapy dog and his friends talk about how distraction and relaxation can help with pain.

Be the Boss of Your Pain by Timothy Culbert; Rebecca Kajander
Kids learn ways to manage and relieve the pain of common headaches and stomachaches, as well as pain from injuries and illness. Skills include belly breathing, positive self-talk, aromatherapy, and acupressure. For children aged 9-12.
Imagine a Rainbow: A Child's Guide for Soothing Pain by Brenda Miles
A child's introduction to using imagination to relieve pain. For children aged 4-8.

Video below: Mysterious science of pain (5:20, by Joshua W. Pate, Physiotherapist, for TED-Ed)
A physiotherapist identifies factors that affect how you feel pain, and advocates for a multi-pronged approach to pain care.

To help manage acute pain, your teen may want to:

Listen to music or a podcast
Play a favourite game or watching a video on a smartphone or tablet
Hold your hand (depending on the teen)
Visualize a favourite place, game, or activity
Try a mindfulness exercise, like the ones in the Breathr app below

Mindfulness resources
From the Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre, this page explains what mindfulness is, and links out to mindfulness resources for children, teens, and families.
Guided mindfulness meditations by Dr. Vo
These guided meditations can help you to cope with pain or discomfort.
Breathr App (by BC Children's Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre and BC Children's Centre for Mindfulness)
Designed for youth, for youth, this app guides you through a variety of mindfulness practices that can be used anywhere.
Resources for tweens and teens (12+) (by the Meg Foundation)
A collection of resources to help you cope during a needle poke.