Needles are used to inject medicines for treating diabetes (1) and cancer (2); allergic immunotherapy (3); dental care (4); vaccination (5); and taking blood samples and biopsies for analysis (6). These are usually painful procedures for children (7). The pain may make children scared of needles (belonephobia). Many families threaten children with needles, or by taking them to hospital for injection as a punishment for their unacceptable behavior and to teach them discipline (9). This may exaggerate the effect of pain in children`s minds and enhance the fear of a needle (belonephobia). This is an exaggeration of the feeling of pain compared with the painful injury that occurs during daily play activities, such as wooden splinter, laceration, or sprain. Therefore, it is believed that the threat with a needle may seriously contribute to the child being apprehensive, scared of, or hostile to doctors, making medical examination much more difficult for the doctors.
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