Effect of flick application on pain level and duration of crying during infant vaccination

Esra Karaca Ciftci1, Funda Kardas Ozdemir2, Diler Aydın3

  • 1Department of Child Health Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Zirve University, 27260, Gaziantep, Turkey. esra.karaca@zirve.edu.tr.

Insights

Applying a flick to infants before vaccination significantly reduces their pain levels during the procedure. This simple method can help alleviate infant distress during immunizations.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Pain Management
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Infant vaccination is associated with pain and crying.
  • Effective pain reduction strategies are crucial for infant well-being during immunization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of a flick application in reducing pain and crying duration in infants during vaccination.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial was conducted on one-month-old infants receiving the Hepatitis B vaccine.
  • Infants were divided into an experimental group (receiving a flick before vaccination) and a control group (standard vaccination).
  • Pain levels were assessed using the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS), and crying duration was recorded.

Main Results:

  • A significant reduction in pain scores was observed in the flick group during and after vaccination compared to the control group (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively).
  • No significant difference in crying duration was found between the groups (p > 0.05).
  • Pre-application pain scores showed no significant difference between the groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

  • Flick application is an effective intervention to reduce pain experienced by infants during vaccination.
  • This method offers a simple, non-pharmacological approach to improve the vaccination experience for infants.
Abstract