BALTIMORE — Hospitals can make people anxious.
It is worse for children.
But Hopkins Children's Center hopes having their own "patients" will get them through their ordeal.
Friday the young patients at the hospital took part in a Teddy Bear Clinic.
It put patients in the role of doctor, doing a wellness exam on teddy bears before coming up with a coping plan for the stuffed animals.
One organizer said by helping kids with their anxiety and fear it helps caregivers give better care.
“You can really tell that it makes a difference for patients to be able to do medical play on a doll or their teddy bear, because their actual facial expressions change,” said Patrice Brylske, the Director of the Child Life Department at Hopkins. “They are more calm, they're more confident and they actually cooperate more with all aspects of their health care.”
This event is part of Child Life Month, which celebrates child life specialists who help children cope with their diagnosis or hospitalization.
