Painful procedures and analgesia in hospitalized newborns: A prospective longitudinal study

Translating evidence: pain treatment in newborns, infants, and toddlers during needle-related procedures

“…Sick and preterm newborns are exposed to repeated invasive skin breaking painful procedures throughout their hospitalization, with no or minimal use of known effective pain management strategies. 9,10,12,28,31,34 Studies focusing on hospitalized children show similar information that hospitalized infants and children are exposed to frequent repeated painful procedures with inconsistent use of pain management strategies. 41,43,45 Safe and effective evidence-based strategies exist to reduce pain and distress during these frequently occurring painful procedures.…”

Comparison of the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions during the heel stick procedure on pain level, duration of crying, and voice decibel of newborns: a randomized controlled trial

“…(1) having a gestational age between 34 and 42 weeks, (2) having a birth weight between 2500-4000 g, (3) having 1-minute and 5-minute Apgar scores 8 and above, (4) passing the hearing screening test, (5) being followed up in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, (6) being fed at least half an hour before the heel stick procedure, (7) having the approval of parents to participate in the study, (8) never receiving mechanical ventilator/nCPAP support since birth, (9) absence of congenital anomalies.…”

“…[3] Also, the number of stressful and painful procedures increase by 10.9 and 2.2 for each day of hospitalization, respectively. [4] During their hospitalization, pain exposure of newborns ranges between 10 to 576. This is the evidence that vulnerable newborns are increasingly at risk for painful procedures with the increase in invasive procedures in diagnosis and treatment.…”

Using Social Media to Disseminate Effective Pain Treatments for Newborns During Needle-Related Painful Procedures in China

“…2 More recent studies have consistently shown that neonates undergo numerous painful procedures during the hospitalization period. [3][4][5][6] Poorly treated procedural pain may have significant short-term and long-term adverse physiological and psychological effects, potentially leading to increased risks of disability and suffering later in life. Untreated pain in infants may also have long-term effects on their subsequent pain perception and responses, neurodevelopment, brain development, and programming of stress systems.…”

“…A systematic review of the epidemiology of painful procedures illustrated that each sick neonate underwent an average of 7.5 to 17.3 painful and distressing procedures per day in the first 14 days of life 2. More recent studies have consistently shown that neonates undergo numerous painful procedures during the hospitalization period 3–6…”