Stella Brady, with mom, Sari Brady.
July 22, 2026
In a step forward for paediatric care, Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is making the Comfort Promise a hospital-wide standard, ensuring every child receives compassionate, evidence-based pain management during needle procedures.
The Comfort Promise began as a pilot project in select departments in 2020, made possible in part by the generosity of Children’s Health Foundation donors. As of July 1, it has expanded to almost every area of the hospital. This marks the first time all patients at Children’s Hospital will be offered Comfort Promise measures, regardless of the reason for their visit.
What is the Comfort Promise?
The Comfort Promise is Children’s Hospital’s commitment to ensuring every child receives the highest level of comfort and pain management during their care.
Adapted from Children’s Minnesota, it uses proven, age-appropriate strategies like numbing cream, comfort positioning, distraction and sucrose/breastfeeding to help patients feel more at ease. These methods are offered before or during any needle procedure, including blood draws, IV insertions and vaccinations.
“The Comfort Promise is a game-changer for young patients who fear needles and the hospital more generally,” says Dr. Naveen Poonai, physician at Children’s Hospital. “We’re no longer just treating an illness; we’re treating the patient experience. And that’s important, too.”
Why it matters
Research has shown that more than 75 per cent of children experience pain during hospital stays, with needle procedures ranked as the most painful part of their care – second only to their medical condition itself.
Yet paediatric pain has long been underrecognized and undertreated.
“We know that painful experiences can have lasting effects,” says Dr. Poonai. "When children feel safe and pain-free while receiving care, this builds trust in their provider and makes the patient less likely to dread or avoid medical visits in the future.”
For patients like Stella and her mom, Sari, this experience was a game changer for setting the example for future hospital experiences. Sari explained, “The team works really well together to make sure your child feels like the centre of the universe, safe, comfortable and as pain free as possible.”
Children who have painful care experiences also tend to recover more slowly, have increased sensitivity to pain during future procedures and are more likely to become vaccine hesitant. With the Paediatric Vaccination Clinic, a key part of the experience involves strategies from Comfort Promise to offer a supportive and individualized approach.
Building trust early can make a lasting difference in how children experience health care—something Stella understands firsthand.
“It’s important to know that the people here are not going to hurt you,” she explained.
“By implementing the Comfort Promise hospital-wide, we’re reinforcing our dedication to patient-centered care and sending a powerful message to kids and their families: Your comfort matters here,” explains Dr. Poonai.