ABSTRACT
Virtually all children experience invasive medical procedures during childhood. Whereas some children require preventive immunizations, others experience treatments for serious illnesses (Blount et al., 2009; Young, 2005; Zengerle-Levy, 2006). Each year in the United States over 8 million children and teens are hospitalized for at least one night and as many as 5 million children annually receive anesthesia and surgery (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2011; Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, 2012; MacLaren & Kain, 2008).
