Getting young kids to be still and follow your instructions can be difficult, especially when it comes to doctor visits. Who can blame them? Many medical tests such as an M.R.I. can be very intimidating for not just children but adults as well. It’s understandably scary to lie still in a claustrophobic metal tube for an M.R.I. To help ease children’s fears, a hospital in the United Kingdom has a toy with a hefty price tag to help young patients familiarize themselves with an M.R.I. test process—and doctors say it’s worth the cost.
At Grantham District Hospital in England, child patients can play with a miniature version of an MRI machine that allows them to scan their toys. Nicknamed the “Kitten Scanner,” this toy has successfully helped relax the kids before their own M.R.I. tests. While the “kitten scanner” costs a whopping £15,000 (a little over $20,000), the physicians say that it has saved the hospital £150,000 (over $160,000) in overall costs since its debut nearly two years ago. This is because while the toy’s upfront cost is pricey, it’s ability to calm the children before they get their M.R.I. saves them money from the cost of sedating the children and having them stay in their children’s ward to recover from the general anesthetic. There are a few other hospitals around the world using this toy, too.
“I know from speaking to many parents they are thankful for the Kitten Scanner and that their little ones don’t need to go through sedation,” Sandy Crook, play leader from the Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS group, said to BBC.
This approach to help children better understand the M.R.I. process and other medical procedures is not just praised by parents and doctors, but child psychologists as well.
“The toy M.R.I. machines that are being used in the U.K. are a fantastic way to make the process less scary and intimidating for children,” Amy Dykstra, child psychologist and clinic owner at Bluebird Psychology, told GOOD. “Teaching children skills to cope with the fear around medical tests helps the process go more smoothly and sets them up for greater ease with healthcare experiences as they go into adulthood.”
Unfortunately, it’ll take time and money for these toy M.R.I. machines to become popularized in other hospitals along with other similar playtime methods for other procedures, so parents will still have to prepare their children for medical exams. That said, Dykstra and other professionals have tips to help calm your child before a medical procedure or test.
Educate your kids with simple and age-appropriate explanations about the upcoming test/procedure to help them understand what’s going on. Ask them what they think is scary and reassure them accordingly so their concerns are heard. If possible, “practice” the procedure at home such as using a doll to mimic a shot. Do your best to arrange your appointment when your child won’t be tired or hungry so they can be their best self. Have them bring a comfort item or toy to help distract them during the test and arrange a day at the park or some other fun activity afterward as a reward.
Throughout it all, do your best to be calm and collected. Don’t ignore your child’s concerns and reassure them, but if they see that you don’t think it’s a big scary deal then they’ll likely feel similarly. They’ll also feel confident that you wouldn’t allow anything dangerous to happen to them.
Having blood drawn, getting an M.R.I., and other such medical procedures can make anyone of any age feel nervous, but that discomfort doesn’t need to feel like a burden on the path to better health.
