Related Experiment Videos
Pain response in Chinese and non-Chinese Canadian infants: is there a difference?
C Rosmus1, C C Johnston, A Chan-Yip
1Paediatric Pain Management, IWK Grace Health Centre for Women, Children and Families, Halifax, NS, Canada. crosmus@iwkgrace.ns.ca
Insights
This study found that 2-month-old Chinese infants exhibit greater behavioral pain responses to immunizations than non-Chinese infants. These cultural differences in infant pain perception emerge early in life.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Cross-cultural Studies
Background:
- Infant pain responses are crucial for assessing well-being.
- Understanding cultural influences on pain perception is vital for effective care.
- Early life experiences shape developmental trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the acute pain responses of Canadian-born Chinese infants and non-Chinese infants at two months of age.
- To investigate the influence of culture on infant pain behavior during routine immunization.
- To explore potential factors like acculturation and demographics on pain expression.
Main Methods:
- Two groups of 26 infants (Chinese and non-Chinese) were recruited from different pediatric practices.
- Behavioral pain responses were measured using the Neonatal Facial Coding System for facial expressions and Fast Fourier Transform for cry analysis.
- Infant demographics and maternal acculturation levels were assessed.
Main Results:
- Chinese infants demonstrated significantly greater behavioral pain responses compared to non-Chinese infants.
- No significant effects of circadian rhythm or infant gender on pain response were observed.
- Differences in acute pain response were evident by two months of age, suggesting a cultural component.
Conclusions:
- Cultural background appears to influence infant pain responses as early as two months of age.
- The findings highlight the importance of considering cultural factors in pediatric pain management.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms behind these observed cultural differences in infant pain.
Abstract:
This study was designed to compare the behavioural pain responses of 2-month-old Canadian-born Chinese babies receiving a routine immunization to those of non-Chinese infants in similar situations. Two groups of 26 infants were obtained from a pediatric clinic held by a Chinese pediatrician and a suburban pediatric practice of a large Canadian city. Facial expression using the Neonatal Facial Coding System (Grunau, R.V.E., Craig, K.D., 1987. Pain expression in neonates: facial action and cry. Pain, 28, 395-410.) and cry using the Fast Fourier Transform were measured during 30 s following the insertion of the needle. Acculturation in Chinese mothers, circadian rhythm, gender, height and weight in infants were assessed. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant differences in pain response between these two groups with the Chinese babies showing greater response. No significant effect of circadian rhythm and gender was identified. These results suggest the presence of differences in acute pain response in relation to culture by at least 2 months of age.