An Atlanta-based pediatrician invented a product to overcome childrens’ fear of needles. A South African pediatrician bought one, and is spreading the word.

As a pediatrician, Atlanta-based Dr. Amy Baxter learned that a high percentage of children and adults have a deep physiological fear of needles.

Baxter is CEO of MMJ Labs in Atlanta. To help allay her patients’ fears, she invented “Buzzy,”  a small plastic ice pack shaped like a bee that numbs and vibrates the skin of patients before they receive a shot or an IV stick.

“It naturally blocks unpleasant sensations and distracts the patient from anticipating pain,” Baxter told AFKinsider.

Baxter said she first thought of the idea for the product when she took her 4-year-old son to the doctor for vaccinations.

“He was absolutely terrified – mortified at just the thought of going,” said Baxter.

That’s when the combination of education and motherhood paved the path for a solution.

“As a doctor I have come to accept that some pain in life is unavoidable, so I did research on how to prevent unnecessary pain,” Baxter said. “If fear is holding back preventative health care, then we need to do something to change that.”

The product is marketed mainly at medical trade shows.

When South African Dr. Annemarie Oberholzer met Baxter at the Child Life Council show in Maryland, Oberholzer knew she’d discovered something that would change the way her patient’s dealt with pain.

The non-profit organization hosts an annual event that draws medical professionals from around the world for professional development and networking opportunities.

Oberholzer saw Buzzy, bought one and took it back to the South African hospital where she working at the time.

She used it with great success during procedures on children at the hospital.

But a change in the product name would soon become necessary.

“I mentioned to Dr. Baxter the fact that a significant number of children in South Africa are afraid of bees, as we have some of the most aggressive bee species in the world,” Oberholzer told AFKinsider. “And I suggested an alternate name of ‘lady bird’ for the product so it wouldn’t frighten the young patients.”

Not long after the conference, Baxter sent Oberholzer some pictures of the new modified “LadyBuzz” product that reflected the image of a ladybug instead of a bumblebee.

“I was thrilled with the idea – it was perfect,” Oberholzer said.

Oberholzer has a Ph.D. in nursing, specializing in the psychosocial support of children in healthcare. She works in Pretoria with the Cancer Association of South Africa in Gauteng, Limpopo and North West Provinces.

Her work focuses on the support of children diagnosed with cancer or affected by cancer when another family member has been diagnosed.

The LadyBuzz product makes healthcare so much more child-friendly, Oberholzer said.

It blocks the pain of medical procedures and is a great distraction. When combined with preparation for the procedure as well as adequate support during procedures, children don’t need to fear medical procedures anymore, she said.

The concept is starting to spread to other hospitals around South Africa.

Oberholzer is working with a pharmaceutical company that imports LadyBuzz. A number of hospitals in Gauteng — private as well as public — have ordered the product, she said.

Oberholzer said one of her priorities in 2014 is to get at least one LadyBuzz to each of the pediatric oncology units in the area for which she is responsible and to combine it with some training on child-friendly procedures.

Baxter was invited to travel to South Africa and speak about the product in 2013 but was unable to attend.

“They didn’t have the funds to send me and we are not at a place with Buzzy where I can self-fund educational speaking,” said Baxter. “Hopefully some day.”

Jennifer Tipping, director of business development at MMJ Labs, said one of the biggest challenges for marketing the product early on was not knowing and understanding much about the African market.

“After a few months of research, we were very fortunate to have found a distributor we trust –Zestitrix Patient Care,” Tipping told AFKinsider. “This distributor actually found us through Dr. Oberholzer.”

Tipping is in charge of international distributing at MMJ Labs.

Language has been an issue with the product, she said. While English is spoken in many countries, it isn’t spoken or understood by everyone who could benefit from Buzzy’s pain relief, and language is key to the effectiveness of the product.

“This is an area that has become quite a challenge and we have to rely on our distributors to offer the proper education about using the product effectively,” Tipping said. “We have been pleased with our distributor’s work, so I guess the benefit is that our risk paid off and we are slowly growing the market in South Africa.”