Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026
A Quantitative Sensory Testing Paradigm to Obtain Measures of Pain Processing in Patients Undergoing Breast Cancer Surgery
Published on: January 18, 2018
Longitudinal comparison of preterm pain responses to repeated heelsticks
Jane C Evans1, Eliza M McCartney, Gretchen Lawhon
1Center for Research and Evaluation, School of Nursing, Medical College of Ohio, Toledo, OH, USA.
Insights
Repeated heelsticks in preterm infants show varying pain responses influenced by age and prior procedures. Severity of illness and prior painful events significantly impact pain scores over time.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pain management in infants
- Pediatric nursing
Background:
- Preterm infants undergo frequent heelstick procedures during NICU stays.
- Existing research shows conflicting data on how prior heelsticks, other painful procedures, and illness severity affect pain responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare pain responses to repeated heelsticks across different gestational age groups in preterm infants.
- To investigate the impact of prior heelstick count, total prior painful procedures, and illness severity on pain responses over time.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive longitudinal study was conducted.
- The study included a convenience sample of 81 preterm infants admitted to a Midwestern Level III NICU.
Main Results:
- Pain scores, measured by the Preterm Infant Pain Profile (PIPP), differed significantly between infant age groups.
- Both the severity of illness and the cumulative number of prior painful procedures demonstrated a significant influence on observed pain scores.
Conclusions:
- Developmental care strategies and the QuickHeel device may contribute to reduced pain scores.
- Increased illness severity and a higher number of previous heelsticks might paradoxically be associated with lower pain scores, warranting further investigation.
Background:
Preterm infants receive repeated heelsticks over their hospitalization, yet contradictions exist regarding the influence of prior heelsticks, prior painful procedures, and severity of illness on assessment of the pain responses.
Purposes:
Compare pain responses to repeated heelsticks in infants of varying gestational age groups, and determine the influence of number of prior heelsticks, total number of prior painful procedures, and severity of illness on pain responses over time.
Design And Methods:
The descriptive longitudinal design utilized a convenience sample of 81 preterm infants from a Midwestern Level III newborn intensive care unit (NICU).
Results:
Significant differences in Preterm Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) scores were found between age groups. Both the severity of illness and the total number of prior painful procedures had a significant influence on pain scores.
Conclusions:
Nurses' use of developmental care and the QuickHeel device may result in lower pain scores. Higher severity of illness and number of prior heelsticks may lower pain scores.
