Coping with Pokes: Child, Caregiver, and Clinician Feedback on a Caregiver-Led Educational Resource for Managing Children's Needle Fear.

ABSTRACT: Background/Objectives: Given the critical role of vaccinations and venipunctures in disease prevention and health monitoring, it is concerning that over half of children ages 4 to 8 experience some level of needle fear. Higher levels of fear result in longer procedure times, ineffective pain management, distressing memories of needles, and ultimately, healthcare avoidance. Exposure-based therapy with a therapist is recommended for high levels of fear. However, access is limited due to cost, wait times, clinician shortages, system barriers, and social stigma. Thus, there is a need for an evidence-informed, caregiver-directed educational resource for management of moderate to high needle fear in young children. Methods: To address this gap, such a resource was drafted which inc

SUBMITTER: Nauman H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12844966 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature