One of the benefits of using the Masimo Pronto is that children can be tested without a finger poke. However, it can be challenging to keep a child calm and still for the time it takes to get a reading. A simple thing you can do is conduct the test in your office instead of in the lab. Since you will not be dealing with blood, you do not need a lab setting. What are some other things you can do to make sure a child stays still long enough to take the reading?

Watch this example and take special note of the strategies the WIC employee uses to ensure she gets a good reading for Chase.

Clinic Staff: Okay, now we're gonna test Chase's hemoglobin.  And I know in the past that we-- we've had to finger poke him and--

Participant: Yeah, he doesn't like that.

Clinic Staff: Yeah, yeah.  And what's great is we have a new machine.  We don't have to do any finger pokes.  There's gonna be no pain.

Participant: That's cool, huh?

Clinic Staff: Yeah, that's gonna be awesome, right?  So let me just get my hands clean here.  And it's best if you have him-- sitting on your lap, if that's all right--

Participant: Okay, you wanna come sit down?

Clinic Staff: All right, buddy.  Okay.  And is he left-handed or right-handed?  And we can do either the thumb or the middle finger.  Today I think we'll try the middle finger.  And let me just get it clean (UNINTEL) here--

Participant: Okay.

Clinic Staff: Okay.  Very good.  Okay.  And this is our sensor.  It just slides on the finger and it doesn't hurt.  It doesn't pinch.  And it doesn't hurt me.  So I'm gonna slide it on your finger here.  And we just need to make sure the finger goes all the way to the back.  Do you feel the back there?  Okay, and we're just gonna set your hand on the desk here.  And Mom, if you could-- put your hand kind of hovering over the sensor there.  That way, no light's getting in and it he kinda keeps still so the test goes smoothly.

Participant: Okay.

Clinic Staff: Let me turn on the machine here.  And it'll (BEEP) just take a little time.  Hey, Chase, do you want a sticker?  Yeah?  Which one do you want?  That one?  Oh, cool.  What's it got on there?

Chase: Carrots.

Clinic Staff: Carrots, yeah.  Do you like carrots?  You do?  Good.  I like carrots, too.

Participant: That's pretty cool, buddy.

Clinic Staff: Uh-huh (AFFIRM).  They're one of my favorite vegetables.  And if you watch the lights, you can see the green here is-- once it gets to-- all the way to the top, that means the test is done.

Participant: (GASPS) Look, it's growing tall like you.

Clinic Staff: Uh-huh (AFFIRM).  Hey, Chase, I've got some toys.  You wanna check 'em out?  Here, let me grab them.  And I've got trains and-- and cars and a little apple--

Participant: Wow, look at all that--

Clinic Staff: Go ahead and choose one that you like.

Participant: What do you wanna play with, buddy?

Clinic Staff: Oh, trains.  Do you like trains?  Yeah?  I like trains, too.  Have you ever ridden on a train?

Chase: Yeah.

Clinic Staff: You have?  Was it fun?

Chase: Yeah.

Clinic Staff: Yeah?  I bet it went really fast, didn't it?

Chase: Yeah.

Clinic Staff: Yeah.

Participant: Yeah.

Clinic Staff: Hey, Chase, what do you like to do for fun?  Do you like to go play with your friends?

Chase: Yeah.

Clinic Staff: Yeah?  Where do you guys like to go?

Chase: At the park.

Clinic Staff: At the park?  What do you guys do there?

Chase: Um.

Participant: Gotta hold still, bud.

Clinic Staff: You guys go on the swings or--

Chase: Yeah.

Clinic Staff: --the slide?  Yeah?

Chase: Yeah, we go on the swing and the slides.

Clinic Staff: Oh, is the slide like a twisty slide?  It goes around?

Chase: I go on the twisty slides.  My parents-- dad does--

Clinic Staff: You go on-- oh, your dad does sometimes?  (BEEP)