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Journal of Pediatric Psychology Advance Access published online on June 23, 2008
Journal of Pediatric Psychology, doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsn066
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Infants’ and Toddlers’ Remembering and Forgetting of a Stressful Medical Procedure

Torun Lindholm, PhD1, Rickard L. Sjöberg, MD, PhD2,3, Christophe Pedroletti, MD, PhD4, Anders Boman, MD4, Gunnar L. Olsson, MD, PhD4, Anna Sund, BA5 and Frank Lindblad, MD, PhD5

1Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, 2Center for Clinical Research, Uppsala University, 3Department of Neurosurgery, UmeåUniversity Hospital, 4Department of Women and Child Health, Karolinska Institute and Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, and 5Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University

All correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Dr Torun Lindholm, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden. E-mail: tlm{at}psychology.su.se


  Abstract

Objective To examine whether a distressing medical procedure leaves lasting impressions in young children's memories. Methods Children 12- to 78-weeks old (N = 172) received inhalation treatment through a face mask or underwent other interventions at a pediatric emergency department. They were randomized to be presented with neutral cues and cues from the inhalation 1 week or 6 months after the target event. Children's reactions at cue presentation were scored from videotapes. Results Across the age span tested, children treated with inhalation showed higher distress than controls when presented with cues from inhalation 1 week, but not 6 months after target treatment. Conclusions Stress during medical procedures in preverbal children may develop as a result of prior experience of such procedures. These memories typically seem to fade within 6 months.

Key words: memory; preverbal children; stressful medical procedure.

Received November 13, 2007; revision received May 24, 2008; accepted May 31, 2008


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