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A Guide to Pain Assessment and Management in the Neonate

Norina Witt1, Seth Coynor1, Christopher Edwards2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, The University of Arizona, PO Box 245073, Tuscon, 85724 AZ USA.

Current Emergency and Hospital Medicine Reports
|April 14, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Effective neonatal pain management is crucial for infant well-being. A tiered approach using environmental, non-pharmacologic, and pharmacologic methods can reduce acute pain and improve outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Pediatric pain management
  • Evidence-based medicine

Background:

  • Newborn infants frequently experience acute pain during medical procedures.
  • Controlling neonatal pain positively impacts physiologic, behavioral, and hormonal outcomes.
  • Current neonatal pain assessment has validated scoring systems, but lacks a universal management strategy.

Approach:

  • Healthcare facilities should implement a structured neonatal pain control program.
  • Prioritize minimizing iatrogenic events to reduce procedural pain.
  • Employ a tiered pain management strategy when procedures are unavoidable.

Key Points:

  • A tiered approach involves environmental modifications, non-pharmacologic interventions, and pharmacologic treatments.
  • Systematic pain management aims to decrease acute neonatal pain.
  • Improved pain control can lead to better infant outcomes and increased satisfaction.

Conclusions:

  • Establishing a neonatal pain control program is recommended for healthcare facilities.
  • A standardized, tiered approach to neonatal pain management is essential.
  • Effective pain management enhances infant well-being and reduces adverse outcomes.

Keywords:
AcetaminophenBreastfeedingFentanylGlucose and sucroseKetamineMorphineNeonatalPain managementTopical and local anesthetics

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