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[Human milk for neonatal pain relief during ophthalmoscopy]
Laiane Medeiros Ribeiro1, Thaíla Corrêa Castral2, Liciane Langona Montanholi3
1University of Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil.
Insights
Human milk and sucrose offer comparable pain relief for preterm infants undergoing retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening. Both interventions effectively manage acute pain during ophthalmoscopy in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pain management in infants
- Ophthalmology
Context:
- Ophthalmoscopy for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) diagnosis causes pain in preterm infants.
- Effective pain management strategies are crucial in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Purpose:
- To compare the efficacy of human milk versus sucrose for pain relief in premature infants during ROP screening via ophthalmoscopy.
Summary:
- A pilot, quasi-experimental study involving 14 preterm infants in the NICU compared human milk and sucrose for pain management.
- No statistically significant differences were observed in crying time, salivary cortisol, or heart rate between the groups.
- Human milk demonstrated comparable effectiveness to sucrose in alleviating acute pain during ophthalmoscopy.
Impact:
- Findings suggest human milk is a viable alternative to sucrose for pain relief in this context.
- Highlights the need for larger, randomized controlled trials to confirm these results.
- Informs clinical practice regarding non-pharmacological pain management for ROP screening.
Abstract:
Ophthalmoscopy performed for the early diagnosis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is painful for preterm infants, thus necessitating interventions for minimizing pain. The present study aimed to establish the effectiveness of human milk, compared with sucrose, for pain relief in premature infants subjected to ophthalmoscopy for the early diagnosis of ROP. This investigation was a pilot, quasi-experimental study conducted with 14 premature infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a university hospital. Comparison between the groups did not yield a statistically significant difference relative to the crying time, salivary cortisol, or heart rate (HR). Human milk appears to be as effective as sucrose in relieving acute pain associated with ophthalmoscopy. The study's limitations included its small sample size and lack of randomization. Experimental investigations with greater sample power should be performed to reinforce the evidence found in the present study.
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