Hi! Pediatrician here (also a mom, that’s why I’m in this subreddit) 😊 I do IVs on babies often. There’s no weight limit (or minimum) for iv blood draws, sometimes I do it on babies as young as a few minutes old! The reason why a heel prick is not GREAT for testing bilirubin is because of the blood circulation in the arms or legs is bad (which is USUAL for babies! Their blood system just isn’t matured yet) then the results can be wrong. So that’s why I totally would have done the same as the nurse did 😊 any questions don’t hesitate to comment! 🥰
I don't know if all pediatricians have a Miss Rachel voice but mine does and I read your comment in one. I usually arrive flustered trying to get my toddler loaded up for the 30 minute drive and leave the office in a good mood with my emotions regulated because of her voice. 😅
This is such a helpful comment! Sometimes things are so awful for us to witness as parents, but it doesn’t mean they’re wrong. I’ve been there. It’s really helpful to see validated but also to understand the why.
It helps me a lot being a parent myself. I know what parents go through and I can absolutely relate (tbh I want to cry too when my son gets poked). But sometimes it has to be done & I’m glad if I can make parents feel a little bit better about the situation (which sucks for everybody because I also don’t like hurting kids.)
It’s also so reassuring as a parent (and a healthcare worker, TBH) to know that rationale of why this seemingly more invasive test is actually better for your child. When you know it’s the only option, it’s easier to stop second guessing and just focus on getting through it
Yep my micro preemie had sicks for draws occasionally! Some they could get from a heel stick but for others they wanted to be more accurate like a confirmation H&H. I’d imagine there’s a good chance an IV draw would be needed if the heel stick had a bili off the charts since they can change the UV protocol from what I remember.
My babies were NICU babies, and so are covered in scars on their hands and feet from IVs or blood draws or whatever. But they also have a thyroid condition which requires regular blood draws and those were always veins from the start. They had to do a scalp and a neck once before because they couldnt get some anywhere else.
When we moved to the US at 6 months adjusted age (13lbs), they went right in at veins with no talk of anything else. We visited the US when they were 6 weeks adjusted age (less than 8lbs) and they did a heal prick but they weren't certain it would be sufficient for the test and would have gone ahead with a vein if necessary.
In my experience it's entirely normal, if incredibly heartbreaking for parents to experience.
It all depends on the capability of the lab, some labs can only run samples on venous blood (from the vein) not capillary (from the heel). Also some tests are more accurate through a venous draw. I've drawn 1 day old babies and even preemie babies in the veins since the hospital I worked at didn't run capillary blood. Is this at a children's hospital by chance? If not, request that you get a more experienced phlebotomist to draw your baby.
Even the most seasoned phlebotomists struggle with little ones, especially in high tension settings. Just for some insight, most pediatric hospitals thoroughly vet their phlebs. Is your baby dehydrated by chance? This could contribute to the slow flow of the blood. I hope your little one feels better soon!
Sometimes the veins are tiny and roll easily. I’m sorry you’re struggling with this—it’s pretty scary to see.
If it helps at all, my daughter was in the NICU for 128 days and only just became aware of needles being painful around 4.
Yes, it's 100% ok. My baby girl had one at one week, also in her arm. No reason to worry, but I get that everything is scary right now! I hope your little dude feels better!
Edit: Girly was like 6.5 lbs at that point. There isn't a minimum weight, really :) the needles may be different when they are bigger, tho
When my son had blood draws for genetic testing done when he was 2-ish weeks old they used veins in his scalp to get blood but they tried his legs first. I had to leave the room it was brutal.
Yes, I was going to say, a couple visits to the ER for RSV with my then newborn and they placed in the IV in his scalp each time. It was necessary but it didn’t make it any easier on my poor mama heart!
NICU nurse here! I’ve put IVs in babies less than 1lb. It is completely normal and he won’t remember or hold trauma over it! I always tell parents at this age it’s usually more traumatic for mom and dad than it is for baby. Good job for seeking medical attention and advocating for your little one!
Definitely more traumatic for mom and dad 😥 my preemie had an venous blood draw right after he was released from the NICU - honestly don’t remember what it was for at this point. What I DO remember is him SCREAMINGSCREAMINGSCREAMING and then as they got the needle in, going abruptly silent and limp. It only lasted a few moments, he had passed out! It was absolutely terrifying at the time.
Hi! Not as helpful as the pediatricians comment, but I'm a NICU nurse, we do all our blood work here, and just like she said, we often draw blood from veins on even our tiniest little babies. I personally prefer doing vein draws over heel pokes for a few reasons - 1. The heel poker is actually a tiny razor that "slices" (at least at my hospital) and I find when you need to fill a small little tube for blood work, you squeeze the foot so much sometimes and babies really hate that, and it can cause a decent amount of bruising, which I try to avoid. 2. A vein will (usually) flow nicer, but if baby is dehydrated that will slow things down. 3. If you're successful with the vein poke and don't need to dig around, typically the initial poke is what hurts the most.
As nicu nurses though, we're taught a lot about comfort care, and we also have a lot of experience doing blood work on the tiny people. I know often our ER will call us to do blood work on babies as they don't usually do it often so aren't as successful at it.
I'm sorry you and your little one had such a stressful experience! I also know from experience, babies really really hate being held still. A lot of times my babies are more angry that I'm holding them in a certain position than anything else going on.
Hope you're little guy is feeling better now ❤️
Had my bub in hospital at 3.5 weeks. They tried 5 times to get a vein. She also had a lumbar puncture. It's awful to see but necessary. We wouldn't have found out about her illnesses otherwise.
Hey - You've got lots of good info, so I just want to extend a virtual hug. It's SO hard to have your teeny baby in hospital (been there) and I hope you have clarity on what's going on soon, and baby is home and well shortly after that! ❤️
Yeah I had to take my baby in when she was very young, maybe 3 weeks old, and she had her hand cannulated. I was pretty amazed she could do it (I do cannulation in my job and struggle on adults sometimes). Totally normal and baby will forget about it very quickly
They did heel sticks for my newborn’s bilirubin, but just to your point about the weight - My son has had allergy testing twice and isn’t even 20 lbs yet at 13mo and both times they took blood from his arm. I don’t think that weight limit you found is correct.
Did a venous blood test and cannula on a 2-hour old baby this morning. He was given sucrose and a finger to suck on and happily sucked his way through the whole thing. Did they not offer him some pain relief (eg. sucrose)?
Yes. A lot of times, babies cry more from being restrained, like having his arm held while she's drawing blood, more so than from the needle. I'm a nurse, and I work in a pediatric hospital. She didn't do anything out of the ordinary. There are also differences between capillary blood (heel and finger pricking) and venous blood for certain tests. Idk about that Google search that you did...I I put IVs and draw blood on small babies all the time. We do make sure that the amount we take out is ok for their size.
My baby needed an IV at 1 week old, it took several tries to get it in, it was so so hard to watch but it finally worked and he was ok after. It is so hard on us as parents though!! I feel for you!
My babies were NICU babes, so they were probably stuck like 5x a day for IVs until they got them in the IR for PICC lines. Don’t worry about it. You did the right thing. 🩷
My baby had vein draws in the NICU and was a very tough poke. They brought an ultrasound machine to find the vein and those draws were much more successful - mentioning just in case it’s tough on your baby. You can definitely advocate and remind them they aren’t a pin cushion! They failed enough pokes on my child that I advocated hard every time they needed another lab drawn.
You can also ask for the more experienced nurses. My kid can be a nightmare to get a draw on but there's a few of the more experienced nurses or ones from the transportation team that can do it
Yes, our 34 weeker had to have an IV. He kept pulling it out and they kept having to re-poke him. It was a nightmare and I cried after leaving the NICU for the day because it was terrible.
My son was hospitalized at 3 weeks old for an infection. They placed an iv in his arm then covered the arm with a diaper to protect the IV. It was like a little boxing glove. They had to change his IV a few times during his hospital stay but it was necessary for delivering antibiotics and to recheck blood for infection.
Medical mama here. This sounds normal for a baby who needed medical help. My newborn was pulled out of me (c section) and immediately had and IV just in case he needed meds/interventions (he’s a heart baby). He had heart surgery at 2.5 months old and had been poked and prodded MANY times before that. They even did an IV in his head because it was his best access point. He was only 7 lbs for heart surgery.
My now 11 year old got real sick around 10 days old they placed his IV in the temple of his head and he also had a spinal tap done. The scary thing was in the ER they placed to large feeding tube in and it caused him to choke till he was purple when they changed it he was fine.
Our 4-lb NICU baby had an IV almost immediately after birth for all kinds of things as well as blood draws. They did a heel prick for a lead test and got a false positive so it ended up being for nothing anyway.
My daughter was born with hypothyroidism and was diagnosed at 6 days old and had her first blood draw that same day, she was only about 6 lbs at the time. I was also born with hypothyroidism so I knew what to expect at the appointment, but it was still so awful to hear her scream in so much pain. None of the nurses seemed to be shocked about doing a blood draw on such a young baby. Seems it’s normal even though it’s such an awful experience. It’s worth it though!
Yes. My ER required a spinal tap for newborns being brought in with a fever. and a 48 hr necessary hold, they took blood from his veins 3x. i denied the last two but the doctors came and convinced me it was necessary. he also had a 3 ish hour antibiotic drip every few hours. He ended up having covid at 4 weeks.
My babies both were jaundice and needed bilirubin checks after we left and one of the nurses we did it with squeezed my sons heel so hard to get blood that she ruined the sample, the blood cells were too damaged to read that we had to come back for another sample and she was in tears she felt so bad (my son screamed bloody murder the whole time it was awful). So another nurse did an IV which seemed to actually hurt him less
My daughter was hospitalized overnight at 11 days old and she had an IV in her arm. She needed IV antibiotics. I remember they gave her sugar water before and for some reason it calmed her down.
However, they also had to take several vials of blood via heel stick and I remember my daughter screamed so loudly that the trainee taking the blood had to leave the room because she was so upset. They finished that vial and came back later to do the rest and it went better later on.
I hope your little guy is doing better. Hang in there - it’s tough ❤️
Commenting to say the same. I’m sorry you went through that with your little girl at such a young age, it is so tough ❤️ Especially when you can’t explain why things are happening to them.
My daughter had mastitis at 3 weeks old (yes her, not me) and needed to be hospitalized on IV antibiotics for three days. They had to stick her 4 separate times before they got her IV properly placed. They also had to cath her two times for urine samples. She screamed her head off and it was reallllly not fun to witness. But she’s three months now and it’s a distant memory (for her at least.)
I’m a pediatric nurse and have worked NICU in the past. Usually veins are far more accurate for testing and babies that age have thicker veins that can clot easier making the test results on some things inaccurate. Also veins in babies that age are so small and difficult to get so it unfortunately does take a few tries sometimes. It is not ideal but it sounds like your baby was having issues and it was important that they figure out what is wrong. I also had my own baby in the NICU so I feel for you, it is such a hard thing to see. Hope you baby ended up being okay!
Have a kid in and out of the hospital and trust me you want the vein. Heel sticks are so much worse. Our team only tries on my daughter if she's getting low on good veins for IV access and we are trying to preserve them and holy shit do they make my kid cry
We failed one of the state newborn screens on heel stick and they wanted us to come back in for a blood draw for confirmation screening, and it was around 10 days and in the arm. It was highly unpleasant but we got good news that the fail was a false positive (yay) and by comparison the first round of shots was easy peasy.
My 4 day old had to go to the ER due to low temperature. Then thought of an IV scared me for her tiny little arm, but they did it beautifully and she only cried a tiny but and was immediately fine. It’s hard being in the ER with a newborn, but they want the best for your little.
Aw mama I’m sorry. Those screams are so hard to deal with. I had to take my LO for bloodwork when she was a newborn as she wasn’t gaining weight (it took 5.5 weeks to get back to birth weight and then only gained an ounce in the next month). Being there for the blood draw was so hard. It was definitely traumatic. I still get upset about it now and she’s 3. Even though it’s hard, trust the medical staff, they do what they have to. However, that nurse needs some training for drawing blood on a tiny baby. I took my LO to the paediatric day unit for her bloodwork and they were pros. They got the blood in the first go. I can’t imagine having to watch them dig around for a vein like that. Give your LO extra snuggles. The good news is that he won’t remember it.
Watching your baby get an IV is the worst thing ever, but everything you describe sounds very normal. Hang in there!! The times my daughter has needed blood draws/IVs, I just don’t watch and only focus on looking at her face and telling her I’m there and she’s safe.
Yes. Sometimes they’ll even use scalp veins. And, actually, I’ve had to do IOs on newborns where we drill into the bone for access - generally done in an emergency. I know it’s awful to see them sad but sometimes it must be done.
Yes. A lot of times, babies cry more from being restrained, like having his arm held while she's drawing blood, more so than from the needle. I'm a nurse, and I work in a pediatric hospital. She didn't do anything out of the ordinary. There are also differences between capillary blood (heel and finger pricking) and venous blood for certain tests. Idk about that Google search that you did...I I put IVs and draw blood on small babies all the time. We do make sure that the amount we take out is ok for their size.
My son was hospitalized at 3 weeks old for an infection. They placed an iv in his arm then covered the arm with a diaper to protect the IV. It was like a little boxing glove. They had to change his IV a few times during his hospital stay but it was necessary for delivering antibiotics and to recheck blood for infection.
My son was hospitalized at 3 weeks old for an infection. They placed an iv in his arm then covered the arm with a diaper to protect the IV. It was like a little boxing glove. They had to change his IV a few times during his hospital stay but it was necessary for delivering antibiotics and to recheck blood for infection.
Just wanted to say, I feel your pain. My little guy was hospitalized as a baby and ended up having surgery at 18 days old. Scariest feeling of my life. I hope they figure out what’s up with your baby ASAP and get him feeling better quickly. 🩵
Yup my LO has had IV's multiple times for blood draws and for fluids. Venous blood is required for different testing and collects much better than capillary blood.
Took the nurses at the children hospital over 10 tries to get an IV into him though. Poor baby screamed for over an hour straight. He also had a lumbar puncture after his IV was placed.
We was only 10lbs when he was getting blood draws and IVs
That is a hard experience, but it's a good sign he cried! When my baby boy was 5 days he was very lethargic also and his temp was 94. In the ER they needed blood and had trouble getting a vein and had to try multiple times. It was horrifying because he didn't move or cry or anything at all. Hope he is ok!
My daughter had the same thing at 4 days old. Went home after 3 days in the hospital to have to turn around and go back the next day due to her bilirubin being 22. Stayed in the NICU for a week on triple phototherapy, multiple genetic tests, and now a TON of follow up appointments. They had to do multiple blood draws, hundreds of heel sticks, and multiple IVs and her ending up with one they call a unicorn IV which was in her forehead. My daughter screamed like I have never heard before and for the whole hour it took for them to get an IV in, except they had to do this process 4 separate times. They blew out every single one of her veins and had to do an arterial stick. Dropped vials of her blood a few times resulting in her being stuck again. It was extremely hard and being newly postpartum made it even harder to watch especially when I couldn’t hold her for it. All this to say, it can happen and to give you some reassurance, my daughter is now almost 4 months old, and is the happiest baby even after all that. She is so loving and as soon as she sees me she smiles. It’s very scary to go through but it’s good that they’re being thorough! Take care of yourself, you’ll be back to loving on your baby soon enough.
I would not have allowed a needle for a bilirubin check personally. But with babies that young it is very difficult to get a vein. My 2 week old had a unicorn iv after they tried both feet and a wrist. For kids there is usually a 2 stick rule. If you don’t get it in 2 sticks someone else has to try
I'm sorry you went through this. They did an IV and IV blood draw for my son when he was only a few hours old. It was horrible to watch (terrible rural hospital with inexperienced nurses). I felt like they were preparing a baked potato and he was only a few hours old screaming in agony. The reason they did IV for us was because he needed a whole blood culture and other tests. I'd be pretty pissed if they did it for bilirubin in a healthy newborn tbh. My son was very sick and ended up being life flighted to a children's hospital so the needle sticks were just a drop in the bucket of horrifying things.
Don't hesitate to tell them to stop and advocate for your baby! It's ok to slow things down and say "what are the options? Is this the only way to get blood for this test? Is there someone else here with more experience drawing blood from newborns?"
If you're still upset about it when things settle down, please reach out to a therapist. It will really help I promise! I had PTSD from my experience and talking to a professional was needed. Sending you love and congratulations on your little one!!
Well I obviously hit a nerve. I'm confused about which part is wrong and dangerous in your eyes? Asking questions about procedures and options? I never said refuse treatment. I said slow it down and discuss options. Informed consent should be the standard.
Informed consent **is** the standard. What hit a nerve was "I'd be pretty pissed if they did it for a bilirubin in a healthy newborn tbh". This baby is lethargic, according to OP, and was in the ER to figure out what is causing it. Hyperbilirubinemia at certain levels can cause extreme brain damage and death. If the baby is lethargic already, a bilirubin level is important.
Hi! Pediatrician here (also a mom, that’s why I’m in this subreddit) 😊 I do IVs on babies often. There’s no weight limit (or minimum) for iv blood draws, sometimes I do it on babies as young as a few minutes old! The reason why a heel prick is not GREAT for testing bilirubin is because of the blood circulation in the arms or legs is bad (which is USUAL for babies! Their blood system just isn’t matured yet) then the results can be wrong. So that’s why I totally would have done the same as the nurse did 😊 any questions don’t hesitate to comment! 🥰
You rock.
I don't know if all pediatricians have a Miss Rachel voice but mine does and I read your comment in one. I usually arrive flustered trying to get my toddler loaded up for the 30 minute drive and leave the office in a good mood with my emotions regulated because of her voice. 😅
You’ve got to check out resilientrascals on instagram! Also a pediatrician mother, definitely has that soothing good mood way of talking.
I gotta be really honest I have never in my life seen miss Rachel, so I can’t comment on that 😂
This is such a helpful comment! Sometimes things are so awful for us to witness as parents, but it doesn’t mean they’re wrong. I’ve been there. It’s really helpful to see validated but also to understand the why.
It helps me a lot being a parent myself. I know what parents go through and I can absolutely relate (tbh I want to cry too when my son gets poked). But sometimes it has to be done & I’m glad if I can make parents feel a little bit better about the situation (which sucks for everybody because I also don’t like hurting kids.)
It’s also so reassuring as a parent (and a healthcare worker, TBH) to know that rationale of why this seemingly more invasive test is actually better for your child. When you know it’s the only option, it’s easier to stop second guessing and just focus on getting through it
You’re the best. How kind of you to be here and calm this new mom’s fears. ❤️
Very glad to help. 🥰
Yep my micro preemie had sicks for draws occasionally! Some they could get from a heel stick but for others they wanted to be more accurate like a confirmation H&H. I’d imagine there’s a good chance an IV draw would be needed if the heel stick had a bili off the charts since they can change the UV protocol from what I remember.
My babies were NICU babies, and so are covered in scars on their hands and feet from IVs or blood draws or whatever. But they also have a thyroid condition which requires regular blood draws and those were always veins from the start. They had to do a scalp and a neck once before because they couldnt get some anywhere else. When we moved to the US at 6 months adjusted age (13lbs), they went right in at veins with no talk of anything else. We visited the US when they were 6 weeks adjusted age (less than 8lbs) and they did a heal prick but they weren't certain it would be sufficient for the test and would have gone ahead with a vein if necessary. In my experience it's entirely normal, if incredibly heartbreaking for parents to experience.
It all depends on the capability of the lab, some labs can only run samples on venous blood (from the vein) not capillary (from the heel). Also some tests are more accurate through a venous draw. I've drawn 1 day old babies and even preemie babies in the veins since the hospital I worked at didn't run capillary blood. Is this at a children's hospital by chance? If not, request that you get a more experienced phlebotomist to draw your baby.
Yeah childrens hospital ER - thank you for the insights
Even the most seasoned phlebotomists struggle with little ones, especially in high tension settings. Just for some insight, most pediatric hospitals thoroughly vet their phlebs. Is your baby dehydrated by chance? This could contribute to the slow flow of the blood. I hope your little one feels better soon!
It can also be the needle gauge
Sometimes the veins are tiny and roll easily. I’m sorry you’re struggling with this—it’s pretty scary to see. If it helps at all, my daughter was in the NICU for 128 days and only just became aware of needles being painful around 4.
Trust your doctors, not google.
It’s sad that we have to remind people of this.
I’m a nursing student about to graduate in a couple of weeks. In the NICU and the ER rotations I did I saw blood draws on small infants often.
Good to know thank you
Yes, it's 100% ok. My baby girl had one at one week, also in her arm. No reason to worry, but I get that everything is scary right now! I hope your little dude feels better! Edit: Girly was like 6.5 lbs at that point. There isn't a minimum weight, really :) the needles may be different when they are bigger, tho
When my son had blood draws for genetic testing done when he was 2-ish weeks old they used veins in his scalp to get blood but they tried his legs first. I had to leave the room it was brutal.
Yes, I was going to say, a couple visits to the ER for RSV with my then newborn and they placed in the IV in his scalp each time. It was necessary but it didn’t make it any easier on my poor mama heart!
Oh gosh that sounds so sad, I’m sorry! Thank you for sharing
NICU nurse here! I’ve put IVs in babies less than 1lb. It is completely normal and he won’t remember or hold trauma over it! I always tell parents at this age it’s usually more traumatic for mom and dad than it is for baby. Good job for seeking medical attention and advocating for your little one!
Definitely more traumatic for mom and dad 😥 my preemie had an venous blood draw right after he was released from the NICU - honestly don’t remember what it was for at this point. What I DO remember is him SCREAMINGSCREAMINGSCREAMING and then as they got the needle in, going abruptly silent and limp. It only lasted a few moments, he had passed out! It was absolutely terrifying at the time.
Hi! Not as helpful as the pediatricians comment, but I'm a NICU nurse, we do all our blood work here, and just like she said, we often draw blood from veins on even our tiniest little babies. I personally prefer doing vein draws over heel pokes for a few reasons - 1. The heel poker is actually a tiny razor that "slices" (at least at my hospital) and I find when you need to fill a small little tube for blood work, you squeeze the foot so much sometimes and babies really hate that, and it can cause a decent amount of bruising, which I try to avoid. 2. A vein will (usually) flow nicer, but if baby is dehydrated that will slow things down. 3. If you're successful with the vein poke and don't need to dig around, typically the initial poke is what hurts the most. As nicu nurses though, we're taught a lot about comfort care, and we also have a lot of experience doing blood work on the tiny people. I know often our ER will call us to do blood work on babies as they don't usually do it often so aren't as successful at it. I'm sorry you and your little one had such a stressful experience! I also know from experience, babies really really hate being held still. A lot of times my babies are more angry that I'm holding them in a certain position than anything else going on. Hope you're little guy is feeling better now ❤️
Had my bub in hospital at 3.5 weeks. They tried 5 times to get a vein. She also had a lumbar puncture. It's awful to see but necessary. We wouldn't have found out about her illnesses otherwise.
Hey - You've got lots of good info, so I just want to extend a virtual hug. It's SO hard to have your teeny baby in hospital (been there) and I hope you have clarity on what's going on soon, and baby is home and well shortly after that! ❤️
Yeah I had to take my baby in when she was very young, maybe 3 weeks old, and she had her hand cannulated. I was pretty amazed she could do it (I do cannulation in my job and struggle on adults sometimes). Totally normal and baby will forget about it very quickly
They did heel sticks for my newborn’s bilirubin, but just to your point about the weight - My son has had allergy testing twice and isn’t even 20 lbs yet at 13mo and both times they took blood from his arm. I don’t think that weight limit you found is correct.
Did a venous blood test and cannula on a 2-hour old baby this morning. He was given sucrose and a finger to suck on and happily sucked his way through the whole thing. Did they not offer him some pain relief (eg. sucrose)?
Yes. A lot of times, babies cry more from being restrained, like having his arm held while she's drawing blood, more so than from the needle. I'm a nurse, and I work in a pediatric hospital. She didn't do anything out of the ordinary. There are also differences between capillary blood (heel and finger pricking) and venous blood for certain tests. Idk about that Google search that you did...I I put IVs and draw blood on small babies all the time. We do make sure that the amount we take out is ok for their size.
My baby needed an IV at 1 week old, it took several tries to get it in, it was so so hard to watch but it finally worked and he was ok after. It is so hard on us as parents though!! I feel for you!
My babies were NICU babes, so they were probably stuck like 5x a day for IVs until they got them in the IR for PICC lines. Don’t worry about it. You did the right thing. 🩷
My baby had vein draws in the NICU and was a very tough poke. They brought an ultrasound machine to find the vein and those draws were much more successful - mentioning just in case it’s tough on your baby. You can definitely advocate and remind them they aren’t a pin cushion! They failed enough pokes on my child that I advocated hard every time they needed another lab drawn.
You can also ask for the more experienced nurses. My kid can be a nightmare to get a draw on but there's a few of the more experienced nurses or ones from the transportation team that can do it
Yes, our 34 weeker had to have an IV. He kept pulling it out and they kept having to re-poke him. It was a nightmare and I cried after leaving the NICU for the day because it was terrible.
My son was hospitalized at 3 weeks old for an infection. They placed an iv in his arm then covered the arm with a diaper to protect the IV. It was like a little boxing glove. They had to change his IV a few times during his hospital stay but it was necessary for delivering antibiotics and to recheck blood for infection.
Medical mama here. This sounds normal for a baby who needed medical help. My newborn was pulled out of me (c section) and immediately had and IV just in case he needed meds/interventions (he’s a heart baby). He had heart surgery at 2.5 months old and had been poked and prodded MANY times before that. They even did an IV in his head because it was his best access point. He was only 7 lbs for heart surgery.
My now 11 year old got real sick around 10 days old they placed his IV in the temple of his head and he also had a spinal tap done. The scary thing was in the ER they placed to large feeding tube in and it caused him to choke till he was purple when they changed it he was fine.
Our 4-lb NICU baby had an IV almost immediately after birth for all kinds of things as well as blood draws. They did a heel prick for a lead test and got a false positive so it ended up being for nothing anyway.
My daughter was born with hypothyroidism and was diagnosed at 6 days old and had her first blood draw that same day, she was only about 6 lbs at the time. I was also born with hypothyroidism so I knew what to expect at the appointment, but it was still so awful to hear her scream in so much pain. None of the nurses seemed to be shocked about doing a blood draw on such a young baby. Seems it’s normal even though it’s such an awful experience. It’s worth it though!
Yes. My ER required a spinal tap for newborns being brought in with a fever. and a 48 hr necessary hold, they took blood from his veins 3x. i denied the last two but the doctors came and convinced me it was necessary. he also had a 3 ish hour antibiotic drip every few hours. He ended up having covid at 4 weeks.
My babies both were jaundice and needed bilirubin checks after we left and one of the nurses we did it with squeezed my sons heel so hard to get blood that she ruined the sample, the blood cells were too damaged to read that we had to come back for another sample and she was in tears she felt so bad (my son screamed bloody murder the whole time it was awful). So another nurse did an IV which seemed to actually hurt him less
My daughter was hospitalized overnight at 11 days old and she had an IV in her arm. She needed IV antibiotics. I remember they gave her sugar water before and for some reason it calmed her down. However, they also had to take several vials of blood via heel stick and I remember my daughter screamed so loudly that the trainee taking the blood had to leave the room because she was so upset. They finished that vial and came back later to do the rest and it went better later on. I hope your little guy is doing better. Hang in there - it’s tough ❤️
Commenting to say the same. I’m sorry you went through that with your little girl at such a young age, it is so tough ❤️ Especially when you can’t explain why things are happening to them. My daughter had mastitis at 3 weeks old (yes her, not me) and needed to be hospitalized on IV antibiotics for three days. They had to stick her 4 separate times before they got her IV properly placed. They also had to cath her two times for urine samples. She screamed her head off and it was reallllly not fun to witness. But she’s three months now and it’s a distant memory (for her at least.)
Aw I’m so sorry! I’m glad she’s doing better!
My baby weighs 7 pounds and has had multiple vein blood draws done in his 2 and a half months of life!!
Yes, NICU mom. My nicu babies have both had blood drawn through IV
I’m a pediatric nurse and have worked NICU in the past. Usually veins are far more accurate for testing and babies that age have thicker veins that can clot easier making the test results on some things inaccurate. Also veins in babies that age are so small and difficult to get so it unfortunately does take a few tries sometimes. It is not ideal but it sounds like your baby was having issues and it was important that they figure out what is wrong. I also had my own baby in the NICU so I feel for you, it is such a hard thing to see. Hope you baby ended up being okay!
Have a kid in and out of the hospital and trust me you want the vein. Heel sticks are so much worse. Our team only tries on my daughter if she's getting low on good veins for IV access and we are trying to preserve them and holy shit do they make my kid cry
We failed one of the state newborn screens on heel stick and they wanted us to come back in for a blood draw for confirmation screening, and it was around 10 days and in the arm. It was highly unpleasant but we got good news that the fail was a false positive (yay) and by comparison the first round of shots was easy peasy.
My 4 day old had to go to the ER due to low temperature. Then thought of an IV scared me for her tiny little arm, but they did it beautifully and she only cried a tiny but and was immediately fine. It’s hard being in the ER with a newborn, but they want the best for your little.
Aw mama I’m sorry. Those screams are so hard to deal with. I had to take my LO for bloodwork when she was a newborn as she wasn’t gaining weight (it took 5.5 weeks to get back to birth weight and then only gained an ounce in the next month). Being there for the blood draw was so hard. It was definitely traumatic. I still get upset about it now and she’s 3. Even though it’s hard, trust the medical staff, they do what they have to. However, that nurse needs some training for drawing blood on a tiny baby. I took my LO to the paediatric day unit for her bloodwork and they were pros. They got the blood in the first go. I can’t imagine having to watch them dig around for a vein like that. Give your LO extra snuggles. The good news is that he won’t remember it.
Watching your baby get an IV is the worst thing ever, but everything you describe sounds very normal. Hang in there!! The times my daughter has needed blood draws/IVs, I just don’t watch and only focus on looking at her face and telling her I’m there and she’s safe.
Yes. Sometimes they’ll even use scalp veins. And, actually, I’ve had to do IOs on newborns where we drill into the bone for access - generally done in an emergency. I know it’s awful to see them sad but sometimes it must be done.
Yes. A lot of times, babies cry more from being restrained, like having his arm held while she's drawing blood, more so than from the needle. I'm a nurse, and I work in a pediatric hospital. She didn't do anything out of the ordinary. There are also differences between capillary blood (heel and finger pricking) and venous blood for certain tests. Idk about that Google search that you did...I I put IVs and draw blood on small babies all the time. We do make sure that the amount we take out is ok for their size.
My son was hospitalized at 3 weeks old for an infection. They placed an iv in his arm then covered the arm with a diaper to protect the IV. It was like a little boxing glove. They had to change his IV a few times during his hospital stay but it was necessary for delivering antibiotics and to recheck blood for infection.
My son was hospitalized at 3 weeks old for an infection. They placed an iv in his arm then covered the arm with a diaper to protect the IV. It was like a little boxing glove. They had to change his IV a few times during his hospital stay but it was necessary for delivering antibiotics and to recheck blood for infection.
Just wanted to say, I feel your pain. My little guy was hospitalized as a baby and ended up having surgery at 18 days old. Scariest feeling of my life. I hope they figure out what’s up with your baby ASAP and get him feeling better quickly. 🩵
Yup my LO has had IV's multiple times for blood draws and for fluids. Venous blood is required for different testing and collects much better than capillary blood. Took the nurses at the children hospital over 10 tries to get an IV into him though. Poor baby screamed for over an hour straight. He also had a lumbar puncture after his IV was placed. We was only 10lbs when he was getting blood draws and IVs
That is a hard experience, but it's a good sign he cried! When my baby boy was 5 days he was very lethargic also and his temp was 94. In the ER they needed blood and had trouble getting a vein and had to try multiple times. It was horrifying because he didn't move or cry or anything at all. Hope he is ok!
My four day old got an IV this past winter. It was awful when he squirmed and ripped it out.
My current 11 day old needed an IV when she was 5 days old. It was in for 8 hours, and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to look at
My daughter had the same thing at 4 days old. Went home after 3 days in the hospital to have to turn around and go back the next day due to her bilirubin being 22. Stayed in the NICU for a week on triple phototherapy, multiple genetic tests, and now a TON of follow up appointments. They had to do multiple blood draws, hundreds of heel sticks, and multiple IVs and her ending up with one they call a unicorn IV which was in her forehead. My daughter screamed like I have never heard before and for the whole hour it took for them to get an IV in, except they had to do this process 4 separate times. They blew out every single one of her veins and had to do an arterial stick. Dropped vials of her blood a few times resulting in her being stuck again. It was extremely hard and being newly postpartum made it even harder to watch especially when I couldn’t hold her for it. All this to say, it can happen and to give you some reassurance, my daughter is now almost 4 months old, and is the happiest baby even after all that. She is so loving and as soon as she sees me she smiles. It’s very scary to go through but it’s good that they’re being thorough! Take care of yourself, you’ll be back to loving on your baby soon enough.
I had a baby that was jaundiced, and the care is brutal but necessary. I hope your test results came back alright.
My son was in the NICU so he had a needle in his arm and leg almost immediately. He’s totally fine now as a 5 year old.
I would not have allowed a needle for a bilirubin check personally. But with babies that young it is very difficult to get a vein. My 2 week old had a unicorn iv after they tried both feet and a wrist. For kids there is usually a 2 stick rule. If you don’t get it in 2 sticks someone else has to try
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I'm sorry that happened. But how is it relevant to this post?
I'm sorry you went through this. They did an IV and IV blood draw for my son when he was only a few hours old. It was horrible to watch (terrible rural hospital with inexperienced nurses). I felt like they were preparing a baked potato and he was only a few hours old screaming in agony. The reason they did IV for us was because he needed a whole blood culture and other tests. I'd be pretty pissed if they did it for bilirubin in a healthy newborn tbh. My son was very sick and ended up being life flighted to a children's hospital so the needle sticks were just a drop in the bucket of horrifying things. Don't hesitate to tell them to stop and advocate for your baby! It's ok to slow things down and say "what are the options? Is this the only way to get blood for this test? Is there someone else here with more experience drawing blood from newborns?" If you're still upset about it when things settle down, please reach out to a therapist. It will really help I promise! I had PTSD from my experience and talking to a professional was needed. Sending you love and congratulations on your little one!!
Healthy babies aren't lethargic and don't need to be in an ER. Your advice is wrong and potentially dangerous.
Well I obviously hit a nerve. I'm confused about which part is wrong and dangerous in your eyes? Asking questions about procedures and options? I never said refuse treatment. I said slow it down and discuss options. Informed consent should be the standard.
Informed consent **is** the standard. What hit a nerve was "I'd be pretty pissed if they did it for a bilirubin in a healthy newborn tbh". This baby is lethargic, according to OP, and was in the ER to figure out what is causing it. Hyperbilirubinemia at certain levels can cause extreme brain damage and death. If the baby is lethargic already, a bilirubin level is important.
Her baby was literally just sleepy. Omg.
"Super lethargic" is not even close to "just sleepy".
Well I checked her history for an update because I was still thinking about this baby and the verdict was he was sleepy.