September 29, 2000
Blood Tests and Insulin Injections
Question from Alpena, Michigan, USA:
My son is two and one-half year old son has had diabetes a year. He is having a hard time with injections and fighting it. Any suggestions on how to make it the most postive experience as possible?
Answer:
The problem you describe is very common in children of this age. If you are not using it already, you might try using the Inject-Ease®. This works very well for small children. I would recommend using a reward system for not fighting the shot. Try not to focus (although, I know it is difficult) on his “bad” behavior as this reinforces it. You might also try play therapy using a large syringe for painting, giving a stuffed animal a shot, etc. If you are uncertain as to how to do this, you might ask your diabetes team for a referral to a play therapist.
SS
