Medical Trauma
Medical Trauma, part 1: Introduction
The first in a ten-part, comprehensive series. We start with the basics of what you need to know about early childhood medical trauma.
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Medical Trauma
Doctors and parents often believe that if a child is too young to remember a medical procedure, there will be no lasting, emotional effects on the child. Unfortunately, this isn’t true.
Early medical procedures often leave emotional scars that are far more serious than the initial medical problem. In this series of posts—which are best read in sequential order—we examine how procedures affect children and what parents can do to prevent their child from becoming traumatized.
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Medical Trauma
Medical Trauma, Part 2: What Kind of Procedures Are We Talking About?
All the factors that make a procedure traumatic, from the child’s age and body parts involved, to the invasiveness and recovery from the procedure.
Medical Trauma
Medical Trauma, part 3: The Child’s Experience
Looking specifically at the child’s experience of trust and helplessness, confusion and fear.
Medical Trauma
Medical Trauma, part 4: Narratives (putting the pieces together)
Putting the pieces together to see how medical trauma creates narratives in children.
Medical Trauma
Medical Trauma, part 5: What Parents Can Do, Steps 1&2
When and how to talk to kids about medical procedures
Medical Trauma
Medical Trauma, part 6: What Parents Can Do, Steps 3&4
Talking about the facts and reviewing the procedure afterwards
Medical Trauma
Medical Trauma, part 7: Building Healthy Narratives, Example 1
How a parent helps her child after he’s had a traumatic experience with needles and a blood draw.
Medical Trauma
Medical Trauma, part 8: Building Healthy Narratives, Example 2
A parent tackles a tough one here: helping his son prepare for surgery on an undescended testicle.
Medical Trauma
Medical Trauma, part 9: Building Healthy Narratives, Example 3
A parent struggles trying to talk to his daughter about surgery on her face.
Medical Trauma
Medical Trauma, part 10: In the Event of Bad News
How to help your child manage, grieve, and accept difficult news.
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