Hospitalization Can Frighten Kids
Hospitalization Can Frighten Kids
Experiences Can Leave Long-Lasting Emotional Scars
June 14, 2002 -- Even a brief hospital stay may be more traumatic for kids than most parents realize -- especially for children who are quite young, severely ill, and have many medical procedures during their visit.
In fact, young children can have long-lasting emotional problems afterward, says Janet E. Rennick, RN, PhD, a researcher at The Montreal Children's Hospital and McGill University, in Montreal, Canada.
It's a side of healthcare that's gone largely unnoticed, she writes in her report, published in this month's issue of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
Most research about kids' responses to hospitalization took place over a decade ago and is outdated, she writes. "Children admitted to hospital wards are much sicker today than they were 10 or 15 years ago."
To better understand the issue, Rennick and colleagues followed 120 children, aged 6 to 17, who were hospitalized either in a pediatric intensive care unit or a general hospital ward.
As expected, kids in ICUs spent more time in the hospital. But they also had more pain medication and sedation than kids in the general hospital ward.
Children on the general wards -- many of whom were also quite sick -- received just as many invasive procedures, but without as much sedation. They may have experienced more psychological trauma than a heavily sedated child in the ICU, Rennick writes.
Length of the hospital stay did not appear to affect children negatively. In fact, there is some evidence indicating that "some children may, over time, habituate and adjust to the experiences of hospitalization," she writes.
It stands to reason that some children who experience a short, yet intense, hospital stay may be particularly distressed, Rennick says.
Also, younger children had the hardest time making an emotional recovery, she found. Six weeks after discharge, younger children were still having emotional problems -- they were fearful about medical procedures, still thinking about the experience, and reluctant to go back. They also had less sense of control over their own health.
Six months later, the younger children were still feeling less control over their health. They were also more prone to fears about medical procedures.
Her findings challenge traditional beliefs, which say that children in intensive care units have a rougher time emotionally. The child's emotional recovery may have less to do with location -- and more with their perception of the entire hospital experience, she writes.
Hospitalization Can Frighten Kids
Experiences Can Leave Long-Lasting Emotional Scars
June 14, 2002 -- Even a brief hospital stay may be more traumatic for kids than most parents realize -- especially for children who are quite young, severely ill, and have many medical procedures during their visit.
In fact, young children can have long-lasting emotional problems afterward, says Janet E. Rennick, RN, PhD, a researcher at The Montreal Children's Hospital and McGill University, in Montreal, Canada.
It's a side of healthcare that's gone largely unnoticed, she writes in her report, published in this month's issue of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
Most research about kids' responses to hospitalization took place over a decade ago and is outdated, she writes. "Children admitted to hospital wards are much sicker today than they were 10 or 15 years ago."
To better understand the issue, Rennick and colleagues followed 120 children, aged 6 to 17, who were hospitalized either in a pediatric intensive care unit or a general hospital ward.
As expected, kids in ICUs spent more time in the hospital. But they also had more pain medication and sedation than kids in the general hospital ward.
Children on the general wards -- many of whom were also quite sick -- received just as many invasive procedures, but without as much sedation. They may have experienced more psychological trauma than a heavily sedated child in the ICU, Rennick writes.
Length of the hospital stay did not appear to affect children negatively. In fact, there is some evidence indicating that "some children may, over time, habituate and adjust to the experiences of hospitalization," she writes.
It stands to reason that some children who experience a short, yet intense, hospital stay may be particularly distressed, Rennick says.
Also, younger children had the hardest time making an emotional recovery, she found. Six weeks after discharge, younger children were still having emotional problems -- they were fearful about medical procedures, still thinking about the experience, and reluctant to go back. They also had less sense of control over their own health.
Six months later, the younger children were still feeling less control over their health. They were also more prone to fears about medical procedures.
Her findings challenge traditional beliefs, which say that children in intensive care units have a rougher time emotionally. The child's emotional recovery may have less to do with location -- and more with their perception of the entire hospital experience, she writes.
