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Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Electrophysiological Measurements and Analysis of Nociception in Human Infants
09:18

Electrophysiological Measurements and Analysis of Nociception in Human Infants

Published on: December 20, 2011

Pain definitions revised: newborns not only feel pain, they also suffer

Carlo Bellieni1

  • 1Bioethics Centre, University of Siena, Italy.

Ethics & Medicine : a Christian Perspective on Issues in Bioethics
|April 20, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Premature babies, even extremely small ones, possess personhood and experience pain and suffering. Recognizing their dignity is crucial for effective neonatal pain management and analgesic treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Bioethics
  • Developmental psychology

Background:

  • Premature infants are often perceived as unresponsive and socially incapable due to incubator isolation.
  • Current understanding and treatment of pain in premature neonates remain inadequate.
  • The concept of personhood in newborns is debated, impacting care decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To argue for the personhood of newborns, including premature infants.
  • To highlight the capacity of premature babies to feel pain and suffer.
  • To emphasize the necessity of acknowledging neonatal dignity for effective pain management.

Main Methods:

  • Philosophical argumentation on personhood.
  • Analysis of neonatal responsiveness and emotional expression.
  • Review of current practices in neonatal analgesic treatment.

Main Results:

  • Premature infants exhibit an "emotional world" beyond simple reactivity.
  • Newborns, regardless of gestational age, possess personhood and experience pain and suffering.
  • Resistance to adequate neonatal pain treatment persists due to undervaluing neonates' personhood.

Conclusions:

  • Full acknowledgement of neonatal dignity and personhood is essential.
  • Effective neonatal analgesic treatment requires recognizing the personhood of all newborns.
  • Ethical considerations must guide the treatment of pain in premature infants.

Keywords:
Health Care and Public Health

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