Children Hospitalization

Explain what you mean by Children Hopsitilization.

 

I took an undergrad class called "The Hospitalized Child". It was taught by a Child Life Specialist who had extensive experience working in hospitals. Just in case you're not familiar with what a Child Life specialist does, they help children and their families cope with the hospitalization, and try to counteract any negative effects. They also help children though procedures that they need to have done. The textbook I used is currently in storage, so I can't give you the title of the text my class used. Perhaps if you search for Child Life information / research and textbooks you'll find something helpful.

I'm so glad you're researching this topic. I also think it's a neglected subject.

 

Did you try looking in pubmed? (or some other journal literature). I remember reading on it, when reading for some other research.

How about children hospitlization for psychiatric/psychological diseases. this could also be very interesting.

 

I don't have any real knowledge, but was hospitalized for an extended period during childhood. Would some anecdotal comments help?

I was four years old, and had been hit by a car. I turned five lying on my back, in traction, in a hospital bed. (The nurses brought me chocolate cake. It was very good, as I recall But now I don't like chocolate cake...)

What I remember was that no one really told me about what was going on. And everyone on the staff was concerned with the major injuries I had sustained, but neglected a lot of the minor injuries -- which were the only ones that hurt! This was back in the 1960s, so there was no effort to make the experience understandable to me. My mother did do her best to explain to me what was going on, for which I am grateful, but there were still a fair number of things that no one addressed -- such as not telling me I wouldn't be able to walk once I got my cast off. I jumped off the table after it was cut off, and collapsed. That was traumatic, but it was nearly the only trauma I remember from the whole experience.

In general, I had none of the existential angst that an adult, or even an older child, would have experienced. To me, it was just something that was happening. It was kinda boring lying in bed all the time, but people came to see me; I was just like "Curious George," and even got to go for a ride in a go-cart, just like he did. Those were the things that I remember.

I hope that's helpful, and not just boring...

 

I also have experience with childhood hospitalizations. From both a patient standpoint and a sibling standpoint. I think you'll find that much of how children react is dependent upon the parent's reactions.