If your child is scheduled for a procedure that requires him or her to lie very still, sedation may be required. Sedating medications block pain involved with the procedure, relieve anxiety, help your child remain motionless, and make procedures quicker and safer.

Baystate Children’s Hospital’s pediatric team members, including critical care doctors and pediatric anesthesiologists, are experts at selecting the right sedation medication for each child and situation. We make sure your child feels comfortable and secure.

Sedation may be recommended for outpatient and inpatient procedures, including:

• Biopsy and drainage procedures
• Bone marrow biopsy and aspiration
• CT scan (a special type of X-ray)
• Ultrasound (an imaging test that uses sound waves)
• Electroencephalogram (EEG)
• G-J tube placement
• Interventional radiology procedures
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, an imaging test that uses magnetic waves)
• Nuclear medicine scan (an imaging test that requires an injection)
• PICC line placement (a type of long-term IV port)
• Spinal tap
• Voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG)

Talk to your doctor if you think your child would benefit from sedation for a planned procedure.