Pain Measurement in Infants and Children With and at Risk for Intellectual Disabilities

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pain Management
• Intellectual Disability Research
• Healthcare Disparities

Background:

• Comprehensive pain assessment is a standard of care, yet infants and children with intellectual disabilities are underrepresented in pain measurement literature.
• This population faces a high risk of experiencing pain, necessitating tailored pain assessment strategies.
• Existing literature inadequately informs pain measurement practices for children with or at risk for intellectual disabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and discuss current literature on pain measurement in infants and children with or at risk for intellectual disabilities.
• To define and evaluate pain assessment tools, scales, and measures used in this population.
• To identify research gaps and provide recommendations for future pain research.

Main Methods:

• A narrative literature review was conducted using PubMed.
• A librarian scientist assisted in developing a comprehensive search strategy without date limitations.
• Pain measures were categorized into self-report, behavioral, physiological, and neurophysiological types.

Main Results:

• A significant dearth of literature exists regarding pain measures and indicators in infants and children with intellectual disabilities.
• Studies often feature small sample sizes and report inconsistent findings.
• Current pain assessment tools, scales, and measures have notable strengths and limitations.

Conclusions:

• There is a critical need for more research on pain assessment in children with intellectual disabilities.
• Future studies should compare pain responses across age groups and intellectual disability diagnoses against neurotypical peers.
• Developing and validating effective pain assessment tools is crucial for improving patient care.