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Updated: Aug 25, 2026
Electrophysiological Measurements and Analysis of Nociception in Human Infants
Published on: December 20, 2011
Cueing into infant pain
Jacqueline Fowler Byers1, Kristen Thornley
1University of Central Florida, School of Nursing, P.O. Box 162210, Orlando, FL 32816-2210, USA. jbyers@mail.ucf.edu
Insights
Infants experience and express pain through physiological and behavioral changes. Effective infant pain management requires understanding these responses and utilizing appropriate assessment tools and interventions.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pediatric pain management
- Clinical practice
Background:
- Historically, infant pain management was inadequate due to fears of drug risks and misconceptions about infant pain perception.
- Current understanding recognizes infants' physiological and behavioral responses to pain, including vital sign changes, cries, and facial expressions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe infant pain responses and their adverse effects.
- To review pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic pain management strategies for infants.
- To highlight reliable pain assessment tools and educate healthcare professionals on infant pain management.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of infant pain responses.
- Synthesis of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic pain management modalities.
- Identification of validated infant pain assessment tools.
Main Results:
- Infants exhibit distinct physiological and behavioral indicators of pain.
- A range of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions can effectively manage infant pain.
- Validated assessment tools are crucial for accurate pain evaluation in clinical settings.
Conclusions:
- Healthcare professionals must recognize and address infant pain effectively.
- Comprehensive pain management strategies are essential for optimal infant care.
- Education on infant pain assessment and management is critical for improving clinical practice.
Abstract:
Unfortunately the history of pain management in infant care has included decades of inadequate analgesia for a wide range of medical procedures, including major surgery. This was justified in part on fear of drug and analgesic risks to the infant, as well as the commonly held belief that infants do not respond to, or remember, painful experiences. Today we understand that infant pain is encoded into observable manifestations through which an infant communicates behavioral and physiological changes such as altered vital signs, characteristic cries, and facial expressions. The purposes of this article are to (1) describe infants' physiological and behavioral responses to pain and its adverse effects, (2) review pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic infant pain management modalities and reliable pain assessment tools for use in clinical practice, and (3) educate healthcare professionals about the importance of assessment and management of infant pain.
