Frequently Asked Questions

In order to see a Cardiologist, you need to have a referral from your General Practitioner (GP) or specialist, addressed to an individual Cardiologist.  This should be posted or faxed to us (see contact page for details).  If urgent, please call us on (02) 9845 2345.

You'll find more information about this on the Admission or Surgery page.  Each has a link to the cardiac surgery manual which gives a good overview of what to expect when coming in to hospital.

Hospitalisation and surgery can be a frightening and overwhelming prospect for children of all ages. As infants cannot understand verbal explanations, preparation ahead of time is minimal. However, recognising what may be stressful for your baby during their stay and using this as a basis for planning can help decrease their fear and anxiety and enhance coping.

What are the common stressors for infants?

• New and different routines
• Unfamiliar environment
• Separation from parents
• Having many different caregivers
• Parental stress

What can I do to support my child?

• Keep your baby’s routine as normal as possible in the lead up to hospitalisation
• Let the nursing staff know your baby’s usual routine so , where possible, they can follow it
• Bring your baby’s favourite comforters (e.g. blanket, soft toy or dummy) and some soothing music to create a more familiar environment
• Try to organise for at least one parent or caregiver to be with your child as much as possible so that they will have familiar touch, voice and smile.
• Nurse or cuddle your baby as often as possible.
• If you do need to leave for a period of time, consider leaving one of your belongings, such as a T-shirt  or blanket,. Your baby will find comfort in snuggling into something that smells like you.
• Your baby will sense if you’re anxious or stressed so try to remain calm. One way of doing this is by asking questions and keeping well informed about your child and their progress.

For further information, please contact:
Karen Weir
Child Life Therapy Department
(02) 9845 3717

Hospitalisation and surgery can be a frightening and overwhelming prospect for children of all ages. Recognising what may be stressful for your child during their hospital stay and preparing them ahead of time can decrease misunderstanding, fear and anxiety and enhance coping.

What are the common stressors/fears for toddlers?

• Separation from parents/caregivers
• Being in contact with strangers
• Unfamiliar environment
• Different routine
• Medical equipment that looks and sounds scary

What can I do to support my child?

• Briefly tell your child about their upcoming hospitalisation one to two days beforehand using simple and positive language.
• Allow them to choose a favourite toy or object to bring to hospital.
• Arrange to have one familiar caregiver stay with the child at all times, where possible. If this is not possible, leave something belonging to a parent or caregiver.
• Let the nursing staff know your child’s usual routine so , where possible, they can follow it.
• Read age-appropriate books about hospital.
• Purchase a toy doctor’s kit which can be used for role-play.
• As toddlers are not able to easily verbalise their fears, it is normal for them to cry or be clingy before, during and after hospitalisation. Be patient and provide a lot of reassurance.

For further information, please contact:
Karen Weir
Child Life Therapy Department
(02) 9845 3717

Hospitalisation and surgery can be a frightening and overwhelming prospect for children of all ages. Recognising what may be stressful for your child during their hospital stay and preparing them ahead of time can decrease misunderstanding, fear and anxiety and enhance coping.

What are the common stressors/fears for preschoolers?

• Being separated from family and caregivers.
• Being in pain
• Having a part of their body damaged or injured
• They have vivid imaginations and may be more frightened of their own fantasties than what will actually happen.
• They may believe hospitalisation is punishment for an unconnected event.

What can I do to support my child?

• Tell your child about hospitalisation about three to five days in advance. Use simple and positive language and answer their questions honestly, especially about any discomfort that may be felt.
• Try to use ‘soft’ or the least frightening language possible e.g. ‘make a small opening’ instead of ‘cut.’
• Make sure your child knows why he or she is coming to hospital and reassure them that nothing they did caused the illness.
• Read age-appropriate books about visiting the hospital.
• Engage in role play with a toy medical kit.
• Arrange a pre-admission tour with a child life therapist.
• Allow your child to help pack his or her suitcase including any favourite toys, books and photos that will serve as comforters.
• Bring along a favourite pillow or doona.
• Reassure you child it is OK to cry and express their feelings
   

For further information, please contact:
Karen Weir
Child Life Therapy Department
(02) 9845 3717

Hospitalisation and surgery can be a frightening and overwhelming prospect for children of all ages. Recognising what may be stressful for your child during their hospital stay and preparing them ahead of time can decrease misunderstanding, fear and anxiety and enhance coping.

What are the common stressors/fears for school-age children?

• Going to sleep during an operation and not waking up
• Loss of privacy and control
• Being separated from family and friends
• Pain or the possibility of pain
• Dying during surgery or while in hospital

What can I do to support my child?

• Begin talking to your child one or two weeks before hospitalisation/surgery. Answer questions honestly. Check for understanding by having your child explain back to you what is going to happen.
• Read books and play ‘hospital’ with a toy medical kit.
• Let your child pack their own suitcase.
• Bring along a favourite pillow or quilt.
• Organise a pre-admission tour with a Child Life Therapist.
• Reassure your child that anaesthetic is a medicine that helps them sleep for a little while so they don’t feel, see or hear anything during the operation and that they will wake up when it is over.
• Encourage your child’s friends/school to visit or keep in contact via telephone, letters, email or text.
• Offer the child as much privacy as possible and as many choices as readily available before and during hospitalisation.
• Practice coping strategies such as counting slowly and breathing deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth.

For further information, please contact:
Karen Weir
Child Life Therapy Department
(02) 9845 3717

Hospitalisation and surgery can be a frightening and overwhelming prospect for children of all ages. Recognising what may be stressful for your child during their hospital stay and preparing them ahead of time can decrease misunderstanding, fear and anxiety and enhance coping.

What are the common stressors/fears for adolescents?

• Loss of control and independence
• Loss of privacy
• Separation from and loss of status amongst peers
• Changes/damage to their body and appearance

What can I do to support my child?

• Include adolescents in all discussions and decisions about their care.
• Support them to make a list of their own questions to ask the medical team.
• Encourage research and preparation.
• Invite your child’s friends to visit the hospital or keep in contact via email, letters, text or phone.
• Provide your adolescent with a  notebook or journal in which to express their thoughts and feelings. Reassure them that it is ok to feel as they do.
• Respect their privacy at all times.
• Encourage your adolescent to bring a few items from home e.g. books, computer, music, bed linen etc.

For further information, please contact:
Karen Weir
Child Life Therapy Department
(02) 9845 3717

A child’s illness or hospitalisation has the potential to affect the entire family, including their brothers and sisters. Siblings may experience a wide range of feelings and concerns and may struggle to understand and come to terms with changes in family life and routines. Being aware of their possible reactions and preparing them ahead of time can decrease misunderstanding, fear and anxiety and enhance coping.

What are some common reactions of siblings?

• Guilt: Siblings may feel responsible for their brother or sisters hospitalisation and think that they have said or done something to cause it.
• Fear: They may worry that they will “catch” the illness and get sick too.
• Jealousy/Anger: They may be upset and resentful that their brother or sister is getting so much attention and things at home have changed
• Loneliness: They may miss having you around to comfort them or their brother or sister to play with
• Abandonment: They may feel that you don’t love them anymore
• Worried/Confused: They may be confused about what is happening and why and worry about what will happen in the future

What can I do to support my other children?

• Be honest- talk to siblings about what is happening and why. Allow them to ask questions.
• Involve siblings when preparing your other child for hospital. Encourage them to help pack their brother or sister’s favourite toys, books or games.
• Reassure them that nothing they said or did made their sibling sick and they cannot catch it.
• Make sure siblings known another responsible adult will be caring for them while you are at hospital and you will come back as soon as you can.
• Leave a security object with the siblings if appropriate.
• Maintain as close to your normal routine as possible e.g. school attendance, mealtimes, bedtimes
• Set aside time to spend with siblings. This makes them feel that they are important too.
• ?Where possible, bring siblings to the hospital to visit.
• Encourage siblings to draw pictures, write letters or send cards to their brother or sister in hospital and vice versa.

There is limited street parking around The Children's Hospital at Westmead and there are often restrictions on how long you can park on the street.  The alternative is the paid parking station next to The Children's Hospital at Westmead on Hainsworth Street.

Generally, clinic appointments take between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on the tests that your child requires.  We try our best to keep to appointment times, but emergencies can happen so please allow extra time when coming for your appointment.

Pre-admission is an all-day clinic, starting at 9am.  It involves seeing multiple specialists and having a number of tests done.  This clinic generally finishes around 2.30pm but times can vary.

Please bring your Medicare Card and a referral letter addressed to the Cardiologist you are seeing or request form from your doctor.

Preadmission clinic is a great time to ask any questions you may have before your child's surgery.

One parent/carer can stay at the child's bedside on a fold-out bed in Edgar Stephen Ward.

If your child is in ICU, one or both parents/carers can stay in the Parents Hostel.  Priority is given to parents of children in ICU and bookings can be made with the Parents Hostel Coordinator on Level 2 on the day of surgery.

There is a Lactation Consultant available within the hospital who can help you with breastfeeding your infant.  The nurse caring for your child during your hospital stay can put you in contact.

Alternatively, if you are at home and would like to speak to someone, please contact your local Child and Family Nurse or call our Clinical Nurse Consultants on (02) 9845 2345.  Questions during pregnancy can also be directed to your midwife.

There are a range of people who can speak at or to your child's school.  This may include explaining a heart condition and what it means for your child and asking for their classmates' support, or helping the school to develop a management plan. 

If you would like to discuss having someone help in this area, please contact our Clinical Nurse Consultants on (02) 9845 2345.

Your child with meet with the preadmission nurse, have an ECG performed, meet with an anaethesist, possibly meet with a genetic counsellor about participating in the DNA Bank, have blood tests performed, a chest x-ray done and see the cardiac resident or registrar for patient medical history.  Some patients will also have a cardiac ultrasound (echo) done. 

Preadmission clinic is a great time to ask any questions you may have before your child's surgery.

In the vast majority of cases, children with heart abnormality can travel by air without difficulties or special precautions.

Air travel is very much part of our way of living, is a means by which many local and overseas patients come to us, and need not be seen as a problem. There are a few special situations to consider.

These include conditions where blood oxygen levels are lower than normal (cyanotic conditions) prior to surgery and others where lung blood pressure is increased (pulmonary hypertension). Situations where your child’s cardiac condition has recently been unstable also deserve special consideration.

In airplanes at high altitude, just as at the top of high mountains, the oxygen levels in the air are lower than at ground level. Long flights may also produce dehydration because of the air conditioning systems used. These can be important considerations for vulnerable children. Short flights of less than 2 hours are usually well tolerated.

We would suggest discussing you intentions with your cardiologist if:
(1) your child has one of the types of conditions mentioned above,
(2) your child is due to have or has just had cardiac surgery,
(3) your child has had recent problems with their heart condition stability, or
(4) you are still concerned.

If necessary, the option exists to provide a supply of oxygen on board a flight after application by you to the airline. This may incur a cost. Maintaining good fluid intake to avoid dehydration is also important.

If your child is on Edgar Stephen Ward then siblings are very welcome to visit, as are other family members and friends.  Visiting hours are 8am to 8pm, but we prefer visitors not to come between 12pm and 2pm so that the kids can have some quiet time.  We also ask that visitors stay away from the hospital if they have a cold or flu or other illnesses as if our patients catch anything it can impact on their recovery.

If your child is in ICU (either Grace Centre for Newborn Care or the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit), it is best to discuss having siblings or anyone else visit with the nurse looking after your child.

It is a good idea to prepare siblings for their visit by explaining what they might see and how their brother or sister may behave.  If you would like to talk to someone about how to prepare your child for a visit to the hospital, please contact Child Life Therapy on (02) 9845 3717.

The visiting hours on Edgar Stephen Ward, where most of our patients stay, are 8am to midday and 2pm to 8pm, 7 days per week.  Midday until 2pm is a quiet time so that patients and their families can have a rest.

We do ask that visitors stay away from the hospital if they have a cold or flu or other illnesses as if our patients catch anything it can impact on their recovery.

Hospitals can be boring places for children so toys and games (particularly ones they can play in bed) are usually appreciated by our young patients, as well as favourite foods or treats (check with the parents first), DVD's, cards and balloons. 

You may want to treat the family too, as having a child in hospital is hard on parents and siblings.  Offering to help a family with meals, housework, looking after siblings, or sitting with a child in hospital so that parents can take a break are also good options that most families appreciate.

If you are thinking about donating goods, we always appreciate baby wraps and DVD's to add to the movie library we have on Edgar Stephen Ward.  Toys are very welcome but unfortunately we cannot accept soft toys due to health and hygiene concerns.

If you have any other ideas or would like to know what our most pressing needs are at the moment, please do not hesitate to contact us.