Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 27, 2026

An Experimental Paradigm for the Prediction of Post-Operative Pain (PPOP)
14:56

An Experimental Paradigm for the Prediction of Post-Operative Pain (PPOP)

Published on: January 27, 2010

Neonatal pain associated with caregiving procedures

R E Marshall1

  • 1Michigan State University, East Lansing.

Pediatric Clinics of North America
|August 1, 1989
PubMed

Insights

Newborns show distinct physiological, behavioral, and metabolic responses to painful procedures like heelsticks, circumcision, and surgery. These infant pain responses are similar to adult pain, and methods to reduce them are suggested.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Pain perception
  • Pediatric medicine

Background:

  • Aversive caregiving procedures in newborns, such as heelsticks, circumcision, and surgery, are common.
  • Understanding infant responses to these procedures is crucial for appropriate pain management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present evidence of distinct physiological, behavioral, and metabolic responses in newborns to aversive caregiving procedures.
  • To compare infant responses to adult pain responses.
  • To suggest methods for ameliorating infant responses to painful procedures.

Main Methods:

  • Observational studies of newborns undergoing heelsticks, circumcision, and surgery.
  • Measurement of physiological parameters (e.g., heart rate, cortisol levels).
  • Behavioral assessments of infant distress.

Main Results:

  • Newborns exhibit unique physiological, behavioral, and metabolic reactions to heelsticks, circumcision, and surgery.
  • These infant responses closely resemble the pain responses observed in adults.
  • Specific patterns of distress were identified for each procedure.

Conclusions:

  • Newborns experience and respond to painful procedures in a manner comparable to adults.
  • There is a need for effective strategies to manage and reduce pain in infants during medical procedures.
  • Further research into pain amelioration techniques for neonates is warranted.

More Related Videos

Electrophysiological Measurements and Analysis of Nociception in Human Infants09:18

Electrophysiological Measurements and Analysis of Nociception in Human Infants

Published on: December 20, 2011

A Preterm Rat Model for Pain Studies01:37

A Preterm Rat Model for Pain Studies

Published on: February 9, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Parental Care01:37

Parental Care

Many animals exhibit parental care behavior, including feeding, grooming, and protecting young offspring. Parental care is universal in mammals and birds, which often have young that are born relatively helpless. Several species of insects and fish, as well as some amphibians, also care for their young.
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia01:29

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia

Epidural anesthetics are administered in the fat-filled epidural space, the outermost part of the spinal canal. This technique is commonly employed for pain management and anesthesia during lower abdomen and pelvis surgeries or labor and delivery.
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
Analgesia and Pain Management01:25

Analgesia and Pain Management

Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview01:24

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview

Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
Peripheral Artery Disease V: Postoperative Nursing Management01:23

Peripheral Artery Disease V: Postoperative Nursing Management

During the postoperative period, it is crucial to focus on maintaining circulation, identifying and managing potential complications, and planning for discharge.Nursing AssessmentVital signs monitoring: Regularly monitor vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature, to detect early signs of complications such as bleeding and infection.Circulation assessment: Monitor pulses, perform Doppler assessments, and check capillary refill, color, temperature, and...