As a caregiver or parent it is important you take a few deep breaths and relax yourself, because if you are feeling very afraid and upset then your child will find the experience more difficult.
Supporting your child for the first few injections can help them feel more confident. You may like to think about giving encouragement like "try counting to 10", "you can do it", "let’s look at this game". This is more helpful for most children than saying things which make them focus on the injection.
If they are saying it is sore you can acknowledge their feelings by telling them they are doing a good job and they are trying really hard.
Find out about an App to help get your bicillin on time every time
Check some answers to common questions about penicillin injections
See the page on rheumatic fever for information about causes, possible consequences, and treatment
Acknowledgements
The Paediatric Society of New Zealand is grateful to the Heart Foundation for providing the content for this page. The booklet 'Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease' was revised in July 2019.
