Related Experiment Videos
[Pain in children: the mechanisms of transmission and response]
1Servicio de Anestesiología-Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor, Edifico Nen Jesus, Hospital de Sabadell, Barcelona.
Insights
Newborns can feel pain, and using anesthetic agents can reduce surgical stress. This highlights the importance of managing pain in infants during medical procedures.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
- Pain Management
Context:
- Pain perception and modulation in newborns are critical areas of study.
- Understanding the endogenous opioid system's role in pain is essential.
Purpose:
- To review pain transmission pathways and the role of the endogenous opioid system.
- To discuss the neuroanatomic and physiological development of pain in fetuses and newborns.
- To explore the relationship between pain, clinical response, and hormonal responses to noxious stimuli.
Summary:
- The endogenous opioid system significantly modulates pain transmission.
- Pain perception and its physiological and hormonal responses evolve from fetal to newborn stages.
- Anesthetic agents can prevent pain and reduce surgical stress in newborns.
Impact:
- Highlights the capacity of newborns to perceive pain.
- Emphasizes the benefits of anesthetic use in reducing surgical stress for infants.
- Informs clinical practices regarding pain management in neonatal care.
Abstract:
The pain transmission pathways are briefly reviewed, emphasizing the major role the endogenous opioid system plays as a modulator of the pain. The neuroanatomic and physiologic evolution of pain, both in fetus and newborns, are also stated, as well as its relationship with clinical and hormonal response to harmful stimulus. On the whole as newborns can perceive pain preventing this with anaesthetic agents reduces the surgical stress.