Children in Ottawa can have blood tests at CHEO's outpatient laboratory or at a community lab such as Bio-Test; most school-age children do well at a community centre, no appointment needed, with the parent's help and a requisition from the child's provider. Infants and children who need specialised handling are usually directed to CHEO by the ordering provider. Tests are covered by OHIP with the child's health card.
Should my child go to CHEO or a community lab?
CHEO's outpatient laboratory accepts community patients under certain conditions. According to CHEO's laboratory page, all children under five can be referred with an ordinary requisition, while children five and older are seen there when a physician completes a Phlebotomy Services Exception Form because of a special medical need, such as a complex diagnosis, a neurodevelopmental condition or extreme anxiety. CHEO asks families who are unsure to call 613-737-7600, extension 2691, before coming, and directs community patients who need urine, swab or stool tests to a community laboratory instead.
For school-age children and teenagers without special needs, and for many preschoolers, a community lab is the everyday choice: closer to home, walk-in, and typically quicker. Bio-Test collects bloodwork from children at its patient service centres with a requisition, exactly as for adults. Our phlebotomists draw blood from children regularly, and the Bells Corners main laboratory has the longest hours in our network, including Saturday mornings, which helps families avoid missing school. If your child is very young or you are unsure which route is better, ask the physician who is ordering the tests; they know your child and can advise.
What do I bring for my child's blood test?
- Your child's own Ontario health card; children are insured in their own right, and bloodwork ordered by a physician or nurse practitioner is covered as it is for adults, as described in our guide to what OHIP covers
- The signed requisition, valid for six months from the date it was authorized
- A comfort item, a favourite toy, a tablet with headphones, or whatever reliably holds your child's attention
- A snack and drink for afterwards, and a sweater; waiting rooms can be cool
How do I prepare my child for a blood test?
Be honest, briefly
Children cope better when they know what is coming. Tell them the day before, or the same morning for younger children, that a nurse will take a small amount of blood from their arm, that it feels like a quick pinch, and that you will be right there. Avoid promising it will not hurt; a promise that turns out to be untrue makes the next visit harder. Explaining the reason in simple terms, "so the doctor can check how strong your blood is," helps older children feel involved.
Water and food
Unless the requisition says fasting, make sure your child eats breakfast and drinks water in the hour before the visit. Hydration fills the veins and makes the draw easier, and a fed child is less likely to feel faint. If fasting is required, book the earliest slot of the day, bring breakfast to eat immediately afterwards, and read our guide to fasting before a blood test; water is allowed during a fast.
Numbing cream
Topical anaesthetic creams containing lidocaine, such as EMLA or Maxilene, can numb the skin over the vein. They are available from pharmacies and need to be applied 45 to 60 minutes before the draw, covered with the dressing supplied, so plan the timing. The product monograph advises against use in infants under three months unless a physician recommends it, and dose limits apply for young children, so ask the pharmacist or your child's physician which product and amount are right. Let the phlebotomist know where the cream was applied; they may need to use a different site.
Warm arms
Cold arms mean small, hard-to-find veins. Keep your child's arms covered on the way in, and if the room is cool, tuck their hands under your arms for a few minutes before the draw.
What happens during the draw?
For young children, sitting on a parent's lap facing sideways, with one arm held gently but firmly, is usually more comfortable than lying on a table and gives the phlebotomist a steady arm. Look at your child rather than the needle, keep your voice calm and slow, and use whatever distraction works: counting, a video, blowing an imaginary candle out, or a game of I-spy. Older children and teenagers may prefer to look away, listen to music, or watch; let them choose. If your child has fainted with needles before, tell the staff beforehand so they can position them lying down.
The draw itself takes under a minute for most tests. A typical children's panel, for example a CBC, ferritin or celiac screen, needs only one or two small tubes. For allergy testing, the blood test is an alternative to skin testing that many children find easier.
What should we do afterwards?
Praise the effort, not the bravery; children who cried still did the hard thing. Keep the bandage on for an hour or so, avoid heavy play with that arm for the rest of the morning, and expect at most a small bruise. Results go to the physician or nurse practitioner who ordered the tests, who will contact you or discuss them at your follow-up; our article on how long results take explains typical timing.
When is the best time to bring a child?
Waiting rooms are busiest first thing in the morning, when fasting adults arrive. Unless your child must fast, mid-morning or early afternoon is usually quieter and quicker. You can also book a specific time online so the visit fits around naps, school or feeds, which removes the one variable most likely to unsettle a small child: waiting.
How do I bring my child to Bio-Test?
Any of our 11 patient service centres across Ottawa-Carleton and Eastern Ontario can collect your child's bloodwork with a requisition and their health card, walk-in or by appointment. For a calmer visit, prepare with our general preparation guide, choose a quieter time of day, and bring the distraction that works at home. If your child's needs make a lab visit genuinely difficult, talk to their physician about CHEO's exception process or about whether home collection might be appropriate.