For kids, ‘coughing trick’ is worth a shot

Just the sight of a needle can prompt shrieks from little kids or a struggle worthy of a pro wrestling match.

Even older children feel like bolting when the nurse walks in with a shot, making the trip to the doctor as fun for mom and dad as filling out a tax return.

But there may be some help for parents and kids looking for relief from the dreaded jab, one of the most common painful procedures children face on a doctor visit.

It’s called the coughing trick, and a University of Nebraska Medical Center study shows that this low-tech solution can make a difference in easing the ouch for some kids.

Kids are told to cough hard just as the nurse delivers the shot.

Researchers believe there are a couple of reasons the cough helps.

The distraction might be one reason, with kids concentrating on the cough and not the needle.

The physical force of the cough also might affect the body’s pain system.

The study group was small, fewer than 70 kids, but researchers believe the cough trick deserves further study and is worth trying, said Dr. Amy Lacroix, a pediatrician and a co-author of the study. The study was published recently in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Lacroix said most kids, whether they’re 2 or 12, are anxious about shots. The way they show it varies.

She’s seen preschoolers who struggle so much that mom or dad has to hold them in a bear hug. Some kids run for the door or cry inconsolably.

Parents try almost anything to distract kids. Mom or dad will make funny faces, sing songs, read a book, jangle car keys, or even bring in a portable DVD player with a favorite movie or TV show.

Dr. Freshteh Farahan of Boys Town Pediatrics wasn’t involved with the study but said she plans to give the coughing trick a try.

“It’s quick and easy,’’ she said.

Different distractions work better on some kids than others, so it’s good to have another tool, she said.

During a demonstration Tuesday at a clinic on the UNMC campus, a nurse delivered a flu shot to De-Vaunte Henderson as he gave a small cough.

Asked whether he felt much pain, the 11-year-old smiled and said, “not too bad.”

He said the cough didn’t seem to make a big difference, though, in making the shot less painful. The coughing trick is most effective when the child gives a harder cough.

The study group included black, white and Hispanic children in two age groups, 4 through 5 and 11 through 13.

When results for all races were grouped together, the cough trick didn’t show a significant difference in reducing pain.

But among the white and Hispanic children, the cough trick made a significant difference, said Keith Allen, a professor of psychology at the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute and a co-author of the study. He said previous research has shown that race has been associated with differences in pain perception, although the reasons for the differences are not clear.

Among white and Hispanic children, the cough trick showed a reduction in pain for both younger and older children.

Omaha mom Renee Schweigart said her three sons — ages 8, 10 and 12 — hate shots. She’s seen tears, crying and even stomachaches from her boys.

Her oldest son still hates getting a shot, so she’ll hold his hands, talk to him and have him look away from the needle.

Schweigart said she might add the cough trick.

“I’d try anything to make it easier on the kids,’’ she said.

Contact the writer:

444-1122, michael.oconnor@owh.com

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