An Overview of Parent’s Guide to Pediatric Surgeries

Infants, children and adolescents often require medical care to treat serious medical conditions like severe childhood infections or disorders related to their growth and development. For critical child care, you can seek the best child specialist in Delhi. Here are a few ways to guide you and your child to pediatric operations.

How to Lower Anxiety?

You can request the doctor to allow your kid's tour in the child healthcare unit before the surgery. Reading books about visiting the hospital, writing and drawing about its upcoming experience, playing “hospital” or “doctor” can make your child’s less anxious and increase his/her confidence and ability to cope. You and your child may rehearse helpful coping strategies beforehand for the surgery day, like holding a teddy until entering the recovery room.

How to Explain the Surgery to Your Child?

Precise explanations to children in developmentally suitable words are helpful. Tell your kid that during his/her operation, the doctor will remove or fix something inside the body and that he/she will feel better afterward. Stress that life will be good. To kids below five years, add that surgery is not a punishment to them and they’re not at fault.  

When to Tell Your Child about His/Her Surgery?

Inform children of two to six years of their pediatric critical care, preferably, a few days before the actual date. Younger kids require less preparation time due to their underdeveloped sense of time. But, act out the near-future experience to your child with at least a two-day notice.

Tell kids of seven or more years about their operation at least a week beforehand. They require time for working through their feelings and preparing questions to ask. Discuss children's medical concerns and answer their questions wisely.

What to Carry to the Hospital?

Let your kids pack special things like their favourite books or toys for the hospital. These familiar things can comfort them. Pack their slippers to walk to and from the paediatric unit’s playroom. Besides, explain to them that they'll be wearing special clothes at the hospital, which are cleaned to prevent germ retention.

The Day of Surgery

Ask the child specialist if you can visit the recovery room and holding room. A security item or favourite toy can help your child in the recovery room until you go there.

Without mentioning ‘anaesthesia’, explain to your child about the special painless sleep during the surgery. Younger kids may inhale the anaesthesia through a fruit-flavoured mask and older children might have it intravenously. Explain that the specialist knows precisely how much medicine to deliver and when to stop to wake them up after surgery.

Post-Surgery

Tell your child that his/her pain is taken seriously and he/she must report a grown-up about any issue. Explain that taking prescription medications will heal his/her pain. Be with your child to comfort him/her. It's their best psychological therapy for recovery. Distract or help them relax when they undergo pain.

For critical child care, you can consult the best paediatrician in Delhi. Try your best for your kid’s health!