My son has had echos done before, but he is 3 and it has been 2 years. I am confident that I can explain what will happen to him in order to prepare him for it, but the other 5 or 6 times he has had them done, he just slept right through them and movement was no problem. Now he is 3 and curious about everything, and like most 3 year olds, is in constant motion. Any ideas on how to keep him entertained during the proceedure? As I remember, it lasts about an hour or so depending on how easily they can see what they need to.
see if you can time it during his nap...or hold off on the nap until it is time for the procedure.. if he can be asleep for it. Bring some quiet books to read to him also.. or a new quiet engaging toy if you can afford it.
If your getting it at Children's they have a bunch of videos there so the kids can watch while they lay still. My daughter had a few in the last few months (she's almost 2) and I layed down with her and explained everything and told her we had to watch Elmo together. I had to keep refocusing her during, but the techs are so good at working with children so most are very patient.
L., I'm curious for two things, one why do you have them done, and two, why did it take so long for the others? My son is 3 and has had 3 open heart surgeries...1 at birth, 11 days later the second and at 8 months, the third. We have been unable to get him to sit still for echos since he was in the hospital, however, this past appt he did very well. It wasn't a big production, we basically had him sitting in my lap at first and then after about 5 min he became squirmy so we let him stand up and move around then tried again with him standing with me. If you can have his attention on the screen to see the different colors and movement, that helped with us. Also, as a nurse, I like to explain things before they happen. What the doctor is going to touch and so forth. I certainly hope all goes well and sorry if this isn't much help! Feel free to chat if you need to talk about his situation. I sometimes feel alone myself!
My son is now 4 and has been having them done every 6 months since birth. He has then done at Providence where they are very good at what they do. They have a video for them to watch and works wonders to keep my son pretty still. They do not last that long. Every time my son has had one they last only about 20 or so.
Another thing you might want to look into is ask if a child life specialist can help you out. That's what they are there for. They keep the kid entertained and comfortable. They make it more enjoyable for the child too.
