A papoose board is a flat board with wraps used in the medical field to restrict movement during procedures. It can be controversial, with some seeing it as a form of child abuse, but others see it as a necessary method of obtaining medical care. Alternatives include extra sedation, holding a child and talking to them, or providing distractions like music or videos.
A papoose board gets its name from the papoose, a term derived from a Native American word and given by American settlers to describe a method of carrying and securing children used by Native Americans. This involved placing the baby on a flat board and tightly wrapping and/or tying the baby in skins or blankets, so that it could be carried on its back without worry of wriggling limbs or inadequate warmth. Today’s papoose board is a flat board with wraps, but its use is mainly in the medical field and not as a backpack. While primarily intended for children, it may have some application when there is a need to protect a patient who cannot sit still due to movement disorders or an inability to obey commands.
The typical papoose board is slightly reminiscent of a travel ironing board. It can be padded on the surface and its sides feature a variety of straps, buckles or flaps that can be pulled together to restrict movement. Some medical and dental procedures can be made much easier by its use because it thus inhibits movement of the body and potentially the head as well. Some dentists recommend using a papoose board for younger pediatric clients, especially those requiring extensive dental surgery. In other areas of medicine, the board might be employed to stabilize a person for X-rays or to perform procedures such as starting a central line.
There is no doubt that the papoose board is an effective way to keep a person from moving, but there is considerable controversy surrounding its use. Restraining someone with straps or flaps to perform what could be a scary procedure, according to some people, amounts to child abuse. Some people may remember being held in this way as a child and as an adult they still feel the violation of this act. Given these feelings, parents usually have to consent to the use of the whiteboard, and many of them won’t.
There are alternatives to papoose advice, including extra sedation for some procedures. From a purely physical point of view, and especially where children are concerned, holding a child on a board is safer than giving him more drugs. However, no medical treatment is purely physical; any treatment is also emotional, even if a child may be too young to remember. Many find that extra sedation and a slightly increased risk of complications is a small price to pay if it means not having to hold a baby.
People can produce calmness in children in a variety of creative ways, while many children respond to papoose advice with great perturbation. Some babies, paradoxically, fall into a calm state when fully restrained, particularly if they are very young. Other methods some parents may recommend instead of using a chalkboard include holding a child and talking to them during a procedure (even dental work), providing softer restraint such as a child safe bundle, and having music or a video in the vicinity which can distract focus of most children. Conversely, some parents believe that restraining children is a necessary method of obtaining the necessary medical care and preferable to additional sedation. As such, they support the use of the papoose table and would consent to its use under most circumstances.
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