Choosing the Anemia Test Site | Count Me In

Choosing the finger or heel and lancet depends on the age and weight of the child.

	Heel-prick	Finger-prick
Age	Birth to 6 months	Over 6 months
Weight	3–10 kg, approximately	Greater than 10 kg
Lancet	Heel infant lancet Depth should not go beyond 2.4 mm For babies who were born prematurely, depth should not go beyond 1.2 mm	Safety lancet Age 6 months to 8 years: 1.5 mm depth, 25 G Age over 8 years: 2.4 mm depth, 21 G
Lancet placement	Either side of the heel. The shaded area indicates where to prick the heel.	Middle or ring finger. The shaded area indicates where to prick the finger.
Tips	DO NOT prick the heel beyond the limits of the shaded area. Ensure the infant is in a position where the heel is lower than the body to facilitate blood flow. Keep the infant warm by swaddling in a blanket and leaving only the site of sampling exposed. Warm the area of puncture with a warm cloth if needed to help dilate the blood vessels. Squeezing of the heel should be kept to a minimum and performed only when necessary.	Avoid the thumb and index finger because of calluses. Avoid the little finger because the tissue is thin. Prick on the thumb side of the chosen finger. This allows for the blood drop to rest on the top of the finger for collection into the cuvette. Fingers that have rings on them should not be used for testing unless the rings are removed. Make sure that the hand is warm and relaxed. Avoid “milking” or squeezing the sampling site too tightly. Keep the child’s hand warm to increase the rate of blood flow.