Helpful Tip:

No parent likes to take a baby to get immunization shots, but there are
ways to relieve your baby’s pain and make the experience less trying. In
a recent review of techniques that reduce babies’ pain during injections,
doctors at the Pain Relief Program at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
concluded with the following recommendations:

• Stay calm and upbeat; parental demeanor plays an important role.
  Excessive reassurance, criticism or apology appears to increase a baby’s
  distress; humor and distraction can be calming to a baby.
• Give your baby some sugar water, either on a spoon or a pacifier, as this
  seems to reduce distress in babies 6 months or younger.
• Ask your provider to use a long needle and apply pressure at the site of
  the injection with a fi nger to reduce pain for the baby.
• Consider getting multiple immunizations at one time rather than
  sequential shots, as this can reduce the stress for parents and their babies.

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