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The most common causes are often attributed to behavioural
origins though there are two schools of thought:
1. A negative experience when young, for example,
a painful procedure at the dentist or hospital.
2. A fear that has been ‘led’ or ‘instructed’ by a misinformed
parent or friend, for example someone telling a story
which involved a painful needle procedure.
It is argued that over time and successive needle procedures:
“A child’s fear can develop into a conscious phobia with substantial
anticipatory anxiety prior to needle procedures. This fear can develop
into a fear of not only needles but also objects or situations associated
with needles such as blood, syringes, white coats and even
the antiseptic smell of hospitals."*
*This quote is taken from an article written by A. Smalley in Paediatric Nursing
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