A Cell or Mobile Phone Might Help Calm Your Child in the Hospital

Mommy, Daddy, I Am Scared. Help Me - A Cell or Mobile Phone Might Help Calm Your Child

There is a way, however, that you might be able to comfort your loved one at a distance. That way could be using a cell phone, mobile phone, intercom, or closed-circuit television. 

Doctors, nurses, and other medical staff routinely use cell phones in their work, even in the operating room. This is accepted practice now in clinics and hospitals. 

In addition, a new concept is that patients listen to surgical music or hypnosis scripts using headphones. The calmer the patient is, the better they tolerate treatment, and heal faster later. 

It seems possible that parents could use cell phones to calm children from the waiting room.

 

By using a mobile phone, parents could reassure children during treatments. The parent could comfort the child using familiar terms, such as "It is okay". In addition, the parent could read a familiar story. In essence, the parent would be part of the treatment team, from the waiting room. 

Of course, if the child were not calmed, then the medical team would stop communication. This makes sense. 

It might be hard, but here are some suggested steps you could take as a parent to make this happen.

1. Ask your doctor or health care professional for their help in establishing this communication method. They might very well be your strongest ally. Show your doctor this article's references showing that it might be helpful.
2. You or your doctor could check with the clinic or hospital on policies for parent-patient communication.
3. Figure out how you would calm your child during treatment. Have a plan. Share your plan with those in authority at the clinic or hospital.
4. If need be, push a little. Tell them how important this is for you and your child. If no, ask why not. Work around their no answers.
5. Let other parents know what you are doing to form a collaborative effort. Social media, such as Facebook, might be helpful. Learn from each other. Form a unified effort. Share your experiences so others can build on your work.
6. Once someone, somewhere, is given permission to try this, it will become easier.
7. It might be tough going for a while, but if your child is calmer and heals faster, it is worth it.

As time goes on, this parent-child communication link could become standard practice. There could be standard scripts for the parent to read. The parent's voice could be pre-recorded while the parent is calm. There could be off-the-shelf recordings available for playing at the clinic. The list goes on. 

References -

Use of mobile phone in operating room by Sanjay Saraf - J Med Phys. 2009 Apr-Jun; 34(2): 101-102 - http://www.jmp.org.in/article.asp?issn=0971-6203;year=2009;volume=34;issue=2;spage=101;epage=102;aulast=Saraf

 

Music and Ambient Operating Room Noise in Patients Undergoing Spinal Anesthesia by CM Ayoub et al. - Anesth Analg. 2005 May; 100(5):1316-9, table of contents - http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/content/100/5/1316.full.pdf

 

Brain Activation in Sedated Children: Auditory and Visual Functional MR Imaging by Altman, N et al., Radiology, 2001, Volume221, Issue 1, Page(s) 56-63 - http://hero.epa.gov/index.cfm?action=search.view&reference_id=700984

 

Disclaimer - Article is for information only and is not medical advice.