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Making Infant Hospital Convalescence Easy
Though many dread the very thought of their child being admitted to a hospital due to some unforeseen mishaps, one has to learn to take it in one’s stride believing that such situations are many a times inevitable and doing the best one can to tide over such times.
* If hospital stay is needed, a host of hospitals offer parents the facility to stay alongside their children to reduce the trauma both face. One should avoid portraying a false picture to the child about what will happen during the stay in the hospital and explain why he must go in and reassuring him of your continued presence there.
* One must go with the child to the hospital. Efficiently run wards allow the parents to undress the child and even provide extra bedding facility for the time of the stay.
* Be sure to pack the child’s comforter , favoured toys and games to help keep him happy and occupied as the change from normal routine and known, trusted people is bound to fray his nerves.
* There is bound to be changes in the child’s behaviour, sleep patterns and consequently bowel and bladder control during his initial days in a new environment, which will soon normalize.
* If one knows in advance that the child will need imminent hospital stay, it is good idea to introduce the idea during play. One could buy a toy stethoscope and practise being a doctor on the child’s soft toys or dolls and get the child involved in the game by making him handle the instrument by playing pretend doctor. Buy books that include the concept of hospitals and doctors which the child can read and see. This will make the eventual transition to the real situation less frightening.
* One needs to explain to the child that hospitals are a place where everyone including animals need to go to feel better, making the place seem quite normal to the child just like supermarkets and fire stations.
* Always ask the nurse if any help is needed, many of whom will oblige by allowing you to help about in the feeding, bath times which will help the child feel at ease.
* Try to go the extra mile by offering a part of your free time to other children many of whom are by themselves with no one visiting.
* Try not to be too stringent on the visiting time and try being flexible by staying for longer. This will definitely make your child feel a lot better.
* If the child is extremely sick to the state of unconsciousness, one must still visit frequently and spend time with him. Try being as vocal as you can by speaking to him, telling stories, playing his favoured song or cooing his favourite sounds. One could record familiar sounds say that of the pet, his siblings and play it at bedtime.
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