Taking your Toddler’s Blood Spot Samples

These samples ensure your metabolic team can keep an eye on your child’s blood phenylalanine (phe) levels and decide if there are any changes required to your child’s diet.

The frequency of blood taking depends on the age of the individual. Children will have to provide bloods more often than when they are adults. Naturally there may be times when your child is reluctant to have their bloods taken. So here are some hints and tips to help with this: 

Tell your child why they are having their blood taken. Explain to them that taking this sample will help them feel good and be able to do the things they enjoy, like playing with their toys and running around the park. 

Talk them through what is going to happen when you take their blood sample – this way, they know exactly what to expect. 

Show them what will happen by completing a blood spot sample of your own (ask your nurse for some spare blood spot cards). By completing a blood spot card yourself, this will show your child the correct way to fill the circles on the card. For a reminder of how to provide a good quality blood spot sample, refer to the ‘Blood Spots for Phe Monitoring’ section in the ‘Essentials’ part of this website. 

Another idea is to use a favourite teddy or doll and pretend to take a blood sample from them. 

Do the blood spot sample for your child, in exactly the way you have explained it will happen. 

• Let your child choose a special pencil case or decorate a box where they can keep their blood spot sample equipment and blood spot cards.
• Allow them to choose a place to store these and be responsible for getting them when it’s time to take the blood sample. 
• It’s important your child gets used to making sure their hands are clean before they start. Get them to wash their hands with your help each time. 
• Encourage them to warm up their fingers and thumbs by rubbing their hands together before taking the sample (if they are cold this can make the finger prick a little painful). 
• Ask your child to hold their hand down towards the ground to make blood flow to the fingers before the sample is taken. This could be a good opportunity to practice counting to ten. 
• Get your child to choose where they would like to have blood taken from – their finger or thumb. 
• Prick the side of your child’s finger or thumb rather than the tip, as this keeps any pain to a minimum. 
• Keep patient and relaxed, this will help your child feel more relaxed too. 
• Once you have finished, ask your child to cover the prick site with a little cotton wool and apply light pressure for a few seconds. 

• Complete the blood spot sample in the same location and if possible by the same people. It can be useful  to include another parent or caregiver in the process for support and consistency. 
• If your child is reluctant or becomes upset, you might be tempted to skip the blood spot sample. However,  if you do this they are likely to refuse again the next time. Make it clear the blood spot samples must be taken. 
• Find a distraction. Children may feel less discomfort and stress if they count, sing, hug a toy or think of something good when having their bloods taken. 

• Give lots of praise when your child completes their blood spot sample. 
• Use the Vitamites reward chart provided in the ’22 months’ section of this site alongside some stickers (for example, some stars or their favourite characters), to encourage your child to take their sample. Once four stickers have been achieved, perhaps a trip out or a small non-food or drink related prize could be offered. 
• Make posting the sample card to the hospital an exciting time. Play a game on the way to the post box that the child enjoys like eye spy or spotting landmarks on the way. Let them be the one to pop the envelope into the post box so they feel very grown up! 

If your child is especially upset and afraid of having their blood taken, speak to your dietitian about a referral to someone who can help you with this, but remember practice makes perfect.