Collecting blood from babies and children

Attention

Ways to collect blood from babies and children

• Skin puncture — heel or finger 
• From arm, hand, foot, ankle site using Vacutainer, ordinary needle and syringe, butterfly needle — see Collecting blood samples

Skin puncture — heel or finger

Attention

Do not do finger prick tests on children less than 6 months old — use heel instead

• Make sure finger or heel pink and warm so blood flows easily — keep lower than body
• If cold and blood won’t flow — warm finger or heel with warm water
• Do not squeeze/milk heel or finger — can change results of some tests. Just let blood drip out
• See Figure 5.16 for correct place to prick heel or finger

What you need

• Someone to hold child
• Alcohol wipe
• Lancet or lancet pen to prick skin
• Depending on test — cuvette, collection blotter, test strip or microtainer blood tubes (for small babies)
• Gauze swab or cotton wool ball
• Small sticking plaster

What you do

• Choose site — Figure 5.16
• Wipe site with swab and let dry completely
• Firmly hold finger/heel, prick with lancet
• Wipe away first drop of blood with gauze swab or cotton wool ball

Note: Pressing firmly against skin will help get a better puncture and blood flow

For haematology tests

• Make a blood slide 
• If more than 1 day delay getting blood slide to pathology — also take tube of blood and send in with slide

For microtainer

• Hold end of vent (on top of tube) up to blood drop on finger/heel, wait until blood flows in. Stop for a few seconds, then do it again
• Roll microtainer between your palms to mix anticoagulant with the blood, so it doesn't clot

For test strip/blotter

• Put single drop of blood on strip/blotter. Make sure test area doesn't touch skin. For blotter, fill circles using as many drops as needed
• Gently press puncture site with dry gauze swab or cotton wool ball for a few seconds, cover with sticking plaster if needed

Using cuvette

• See Testing haemoglobin