Children's Behavior After a Hospital Discharge

Regression

• Many children react to a hospital stay with behavior regression when they come home. The potty-trained toddler might have accidents and the child who had broken the thumb-sucking habit might take it up again. Try not to get upset with minor lapses in displays of independence or skills. Your child might feel changed or different after his hospital stay and might be afraid to try new things or do the what he used to enjoy, according to the Arkansas Children's Hospital. Reassure him that he's capable and strong enough to do new activities and to be a big boy, but don't criticize regressive behaviors, the Intermountain Primary Children's Medical Center recommends.

Separation Anxiety

• It's common for children to fear separation from caregivers after a hospital stay. Give your child reassurances that you won't leave him at any time without telling him beforehand. Don't make promises that might be impossible to keep, such as promising you'll never leave him or that he'll never have to go back to the hospital. While it's tempting to let him sleep with you or give him other privileges he doesn't usually have, stick to your routine as much as possible. Following the routine assures him that his life is getting back to normal, the Arkansas Children's Hospital explains.

Fearfulness

• Many children develop specific fears in hospital, including a fear of hospital personnel or fear of dying, even if he wasn't terribly ill. Encourage your child to verbalize his fears, if he's old enough. Many children older than age 6 start to worry about death and getting sick, even if they haven't been recently hospitalized, according to HealthyChildren.org. Books about hospital stays or illnesses can help your child deal with fear. Reading about a story character's fears gives him openings to talk about his own worries. Listening to stories about hospitalizations can help your child process his experience and get past his fears. Artwork also helps kids address their fears and work them out.

Anger

• Many children are excessively good while in the hospital, not protesting when they undergo difficult or painful procedures. But when a child gets home and feels safe, all his anger might come bursting forth. Encourage him to verbalize his anger or to act it out in play settings with dolls or other play equipment. Don't allow behavior that you wouldn't have allowed before his hospitalization, such as hitting. He needs to know that family rules still apply and that he's healthy enough to obey the rules. Behavioral changes after hospital discharge can last up to four to six weeks, the Intermountain Primary Children's Medical Center reports. If changes last longer, talk to your child's pediatrician about the benefits of therapy.