A Child's Phases of Healing After a Hospital Stay

Emotional healing from a hospital stay means that your child will need to relive what has happened.

Older kids relive by talking about the hospital. Younger kids want to play out their experiences using toys and medical play kits.

You can help your child by talking and playing with them.

Healing Phases Your Child May Go Through After a Hospital Stay

The following outlines some phases your child may go through after coming home from the hospital.

Phase 1: Quiet play at home. Phone calls from friends.
Phase 2: Non-strenuous play outside. Seeking out friends for play.
Phase 3: Normal play and activities. Not relying on siblings for help with household chores.

Phase 1: Clinging to parents or known surroundings. Disrupted sleep and meal schedules. Short-term loss of independent behavior or skills.
Phase 2: Needing to "touch base" with parents at times. Expecting continued extra privileges or gifts.
Phase 3: Normal interactions with parents. Return to normal "rules" and independence.

Phase 1: Visits or special gifts from loved ones. Phone calls from relatives.
Phase 2: Short visits from your child's friends at your home. Easy trips to a loved one's home.
Phase 3: Resume normal visits. Staying overnight at a friend's or relative's house.

Children's Hospital's main campus is located in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Our main hospital address is:

UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
One Children’s Hospital Way
4401 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15224

In addition to the main hospital, Children's has many convenient locations in other neighborhoods throughout the greater Pittsburgh region.

For general information and inquiries, please call 412-692-5325.
To make an appointment, you can schedule online or call 412-692-7337 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday
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Sign Up: Parents, legal guardians, and patients may sign-up online. Parents, legal guardians, and patients may also sign-up in person during a hospital stay, at a clinic appointment, or by visiting the UPMC Health Plan Connect Service and Sales Center at your local mall. Learn More.

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To pay your bill online, please visit UPMC's online bill payment system.

Interested in giving to Children's Hospital? Support the hospital by making a donation online, joining our Heroes in Healing monthly donor program, or visiting our site to learn about the other ways you can give back.