Helpful Tip:
No parent likes to take a baby to get immunization shots, but there are
ways to relieve your baby’s pain and make the experience less trying. In
a recent review of techniques that reduce babies’ pain during injections,
doctors at the Pain Relief Program at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
concluded with the following recommendations:
- Stay calm and upbeat; parental demeanor plays an important role.
Excessive reassurance, criticism or apology appears to increase a baby’s
distress; humor and distraction can be calming to a baby. - Give your baby some sugar water, either on a spoon or a pacifier, as this
seems to reduce distress in babies 6 months or younger. - Ask your provider to use a long needle and apply pressure at the site of
the injection with a fi nger to reduce pain for the baby. - Consider getting multiple immunizations at one time rather than
sequential shots, as this can reduce the stress for parents and their babies.
Click here to view/print the New Parent Vaccination Chart. It will help you keep track of which shots your baby has received, and which ones they still need.
Vaccination Chart
