What’s An IV?: A Child’s Guide to Getting Medicine Via a Drip

What is an IV? As an adult, I know what an IV does, and I have a vague idea of what goes into putting it in your arm. However, as a child, the concept of having an IV inserted into my arm would’ve scared me silly. This is where illustrated books such as What’s An IV? is an illustrated book intended for elementary school-aged children who need to have an IV put into their arm. It’s approachable and has the potential to put kids at ease about the process, at least as much as they can be.

As a child, the thought of needles always freaked me out. It would be easy to blame the questionable movies I saw growing up, but that would be passing the buck and as an adult,t it stopped with me. That meant that I took the kids with me to get shots and was insistent that they not have the same phobia I had. Granted, getting a shot isn’t something that most people look forward to because of the infrequency that it occurs at. This is where those folks, and I put myself in that category, need to be thankful of their good health which dictates that it doesn’t need to happen frequently.

It’s also a chance for people to be thankful for the status of medical care in the modern world. The way that I rationalized our children’s fear or resistance towards needles was by taking them with me whenever I needed a shot and a little carrot and stick. I told them that the pinch would only last a mili-second (which is totally true), and that after that we’d get some ice cream. Another thing I mentioned was that the medicine they’d be receiving (for influenza) would help ensure that they don’t get this ‘cold’ that would make their entire body hurt for a week. The specter of a week in bed, the ice cream or our routine of taking them to the doctor seems to have done the trick for now, for us.

An IV though is a different story that could have multiple inferences. Is this a one-time visit to the doctor where they need it? It could be the first of various doctor visits that dictates something more serious. Either situation can be scary for a kid who just wants to be outside playing with their friends, ignoring their parents while playing video games, or literally anything other than going to the doctor. It’s not just going to the scary doctor, they’re going to the doctor and having something stuck in them for a period of time. What if they bump their arm?

What’s An IV? covers all of those situations in a way that should put a majority of their fears and concerns, about that part of the process at ease. The doctors will put an arm board under the patient’s arm to limit movement. The book illustrates all of the supplies that the nurses and doctors will use during their visit when the IV is put in. What’s the stuff that goes into the hanging bag, and by default, my body?

The book answers that too. What’s An IV? is not an illustrated book that will be in most children’s must-read bookshelf. It’s a challenge to get young ages to read non-fiction and even more challenging to get them to read about a process that they do not want to do. This book is not in the same category as those. It’s not one that children will accidentally read. It’s one that softly spells out a common, simple medical procedure that can give people the heebie jeebies. A shot or vaccination is one thing, but this is a needle that will make way for liquid to slowly drip into my arm?

What’s An IV? does a great job in de-mystifying the bag with liquid that’s connected to your arm that sometimes has to happen when you go to the hospital or have a procedure done. The young kid in the story has the same range of emotions that they’ll have. It doesn’t skimp on the hospital angles that kids would freak out over. It shows the needle going into the wrist area, the tape that secures the IV and more. The book also clearly tells young readers when to expect the needle and when not to. It’s only the first part of the procedure that has a needle. However, it’s important for young audiences, who are already fearful of the ordeal to read about it and see illustrations that accompany it.  

This is a book that libraries need. If you have a young reader who might be having an IV put in on a semi-regular basis it’s for them too. It’s great for story time around the carpet for young ages too, but let’s be realistic in the fact that those ages might squirm a bit. That is where the book can really shine though. If you (the book or teacher) have a chance to desensitize those ages to something that’s going to save their lives or alleviate pain, isn’t that a good thing? This is not the unicorn storytime book that will make kids laugh, but What’s An IV? is in a gentle enough package to make the needed message palatable.

What’s An IV? is an illustrated book in the My Medical Process series and is from Melissa Fatal and Rosemary Peng with illustrations by Edward Ernest and is available on Yorkshire Publishing.

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