Pain and the Neonatal Brain: History, Outcomes, and Strategies for Improvement

Patients in the NICU are among the most delicate residents in the hospital, yet studies have shown as many as 17 painful procedures being performed on neonates each day.1 Many painful procedures are related to blood draws for lab tests used to monitor patients and titrate support.

However, more frequent blood draws lead to increased instances of pain, which can result in both short- and long-term adverse outcomes for these fragile patients.

It is essential to the quality of life and long-term outlook of these preterm infants that a comprehensive approach is taken to address pain in the NICU setting.

Neonates and pain: a history2

Prior to the 21st century, the pain experience in neonates was largely unrecognized and even denied among medical professionals. During these times, it was widely believed that infants were less evolved humans than those who were grown, and therefore could not experience pain at the same level as a more mature person. Because of this long-held belief, there was skepticism of data that suggested that infants do feel pain.

Infant responses to pain were brushed off as physiological or behavioral reflexes rather than legitimate painful events for the child. This view was held so firmly that infant surgery was routinely performed without the aid of anesthesia until the late 1980s…

To read the full whitepaper complete the form on this page. 

To download the whitepaper, please fill out the form below:

Related Posts

  • Sentec Article

    How Transcutaneous CO2 Monitoring Can Help NICU Nurses Advocate for Patients

    Continuous CO2 monitoring is a powerful tool that can help NICU nurses as they advocate for their tiny patients. Discover 4 ways it can help amplify your voice.

  • Whitepaper

    Reducing Blood Loss in the NICU

    Blood draws for lab work are well-established as one of the main drivers of anemia of prematurity leading to a high rate of transfusion in the NICU. Learn more about the problem and how transcutaneous monitoring can be part of the solution.

  • Whitepaper

    Transcutaneous CO2 Monitoring in Routine and Advanced Pediatric Sleep Studies

    Lisa DeGuzman, RRT-NPS, RPSGT, CCSH discusses the role of transcutaneous CO2 monitoring in the Nemours Children’s Hospital Pediatric Sleep Center, highlighting its applications in detecting and guiding the management of sleep-disordered breathing among the pediatric population.