A feasibility and efficacy randomised controlled trial of swaddling for controlling procedural pain in preterm infants

The effects of white noise and swaddling methods on orogastric tube insertion-related pain in preterm infants: A randomized controlled trial

AIM

This study aims to investigate the effects of the white noise, swaddling and white noise + swaddling methods on pain and physiological parameters associated with orogastric tube insertion procedure.

METHODS

This was a randomized controlled trial. A total of 132 preterm infants were randomly assigned to four groups as white noise group (n = 33), swaddling group (n = 33), white noise + swaddling group (n = 33) and control group (n = 33). Interventions were initiated 5 min before the orogastric tube insertion procedure and continued during and up to 5 min after the procedure.

RESULTS

White noise intervention alone did not have a significant effect on reducing pain associated with orogastric tube insertion (p > 0.05). Compared with the control group, the preterm infants in the swaddling group experienced 0.587 times less pain, and those in the white noise + swaddling group experienced 0.473 times less pain.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicate the swaddling and the combination of white noise + swaddling may be a useful intervention in reducing the invasive pain experienced by preterm infants during and after orogastric tube insertion and in improving the physiological parameters associated with pain.

Procedural pain management in neonates: A Narrative review

Over the past three decades, awareness regarding pain management in neonates has risen significantly. It has been very well established that neonates can perceive, feel, and react to stimuli that cause pain and discomfort to them. Neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are repeatedly subjected to invasive treatments, most of which are painful. These procedures, nevertheless, are still performed, sometimes without sufficient analgesia. Exposure to frequent traumatic and painful procedures has been associated with several adverse effects such as altered brain growth and signs of internalization. Both inadequate and excessive analgesia during this period of rapid development may lead to profound neurodevelopmental outcomes. Ensuring the avoidance of pain in NICUs is a crucial obligation from both ethical and medical standpoints. Despite established international criteria, there is currently insufficient adherence to this criterion, highlighting the need for additional development in uniformly providing effective pain management to newborns in NICUs.

Pain in Neonates: Perceptions and Current Practices

All newborns experience pain during routine care, which can have long-lasting negative effects. Despite the availability of effective methods to prevent and reduce pain, most infants will receive ineffective or no treatment. Optimal pain management includes the reduction of the number of procedures performed, routine pain assessment and the use of effective pain-reducing interventions, most notably breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact and sweet-tasting solutions. Parents are an essential component of the comprehensive assessment and management of infant pain; however, a gap exists regarding the uptake of parent-led interventions and the engagement of families. Practice recommendations for infant pain care are discussed.

The effect of the swaddling method on stress levels in newborns administered nasal CPAP

BACKGROUND

This study aims to investigate the effects of the swaddling method on the stress levels in newborns receiving nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP).

METHODS

The study was conducted between 1 June 2022 and 1 October 2022 with 40 newborns who underwent nCPAP in the second-level Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a city hospital in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. Data were collected using a descriptive form, including the characteristics of newborns, a patient follow-up chart, and the Newborn Stress Scale (NSS). The descriptive form, the patient follow-up chart, and the NSS were completed by the researcher 30 min after the nCPAP was started and the first saliva sample was taken. The patient follow-up chart and NSS were completed 30 min after applying the swaddling method and the second saliva sample was collected. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0 package software and presented with number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, min-max, and t-test.

RESULTS

The study found that the mean score of the NSS after the intervention (3.52 ± 2.57) was lower than that before the intervention (10.02 ± 2.05) (p < 0.05). The mean saliva cortisol levels of the newborns after the intervention (4.99 ± 1.89) were lower than before the intervention (5.51 ± 1.65) (p < 0.05). The mean heart (135.50 ± 14.15) and respiratory rates (68.07 ± 10.16) of the newborns after the intervention were lower than those before the intervention (140.82 ± 18.11; 72.95 ± 9.06, respectively) (p < 0.05). There was no difference between the mean oxygen saturation of newborns before and after the intervention (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The study showed that the swaddling method played a role in reducing the stress levels in newborns who underwent nCPAP. It is recommended that randomized controlled trials examining the effect of swaddling on the stress levels of newborns who underwent nCPAP be conducted.

Physiological responses and behavioural organization of very low birth weight infants during swaddled versus traditional weighing

AIM

Despite the consequences of neonatal distress and agitation, preterm infants undergo stress owing to weighing procedures. The objective of this study was to enable very low birth weight infants to maintain adequate self-regulation during weighing.

DESIGN

This prospective crossover study utilizes a within-subjects design, where intervention days were compared to control days.

METHOD

Infants were exposed to both swaddled and unswaddled weighing in an intensive care nursery setting. Nineteen very low birth weight infants were weighed on two consecutive days. Variables of heart rate, respiratory rate and ALPS-Neo score were recorded.

RESULTS

Stress score decreased significantly from 1.65 (pre-weight) to 0.23 (weight measurement) in swaddled-intervention periods; conversely, it increased significantly from 1.26 (pre-weight) to 4.97 (weight measurement) in control periods. During weight measurement, heart and respiratory rate were significantly lower for swaddled-intervention days when compared to control days. Given the significant impact of swaddled weighing in reducing stress, this method can be used as an appropriate weighing procedure in intensive care. This research has no patient or public contribution.

Non-pharmacological management of infant and young child procedural pain

BACKGROUND

Despite evidence of the long-term implications of unrelieved pain during infancy, it is evident that infant pain is still under-managed and unmanaged. Inadequately managed pain in infancy, a period of exponential development, can have implications across the lifespan. Therefore, a comprehensive and systematic review of pain management strategies is integral to appropriate infant pain management. This is an update of a previously published review update in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2015, Issue 12) of the same title.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy and adverse events of non-pharmacological interventions for infant and child (aged up to three years) acute pain, excluding kangaroo care, sucrose, breastfeeding/breast milk, and music.

SEARCH METHODS

For this update, we searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE-Ovid platform, EMBASE-OVID platform, PsycINFO-OVID platform, CINAHL-EBSCO platform and trial registration websites (ClinicalTrials.gov; International Clinical Trials Registry Platform) (March 2015 to October 2020). An update search was completed in July 2022, but studies identified at this point were added to 'Awaiting classification' for a future update.  We also searched reference lists and contacted researchers via electronic list-serves.  We incorporated 76 new studies into the review.  SELECTION CRITERIA: Participants included infants from birth to three years in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or cross-over RCTs that had a no-treatment control comparison. Studies were eligible for inclusion in the analysis if they compared a non-pharmacological pain management strategy to a no-treatment control group (15 different strategies). In addition, we also analysed studies when the unique effect of adding a non-pharmacological pain management strategy onto another pain management strategy could be assessed (i.e. additive effects on a sweet solution, non-nutritive sucking, or swaddling) (three strategies). The eligible control groups for these additive studies were sweet solution only, non-nutritive sucking only, or swaddling only, respectively. Finally, we qualitatively described six interventions that met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in the review, but not in the analysis.  DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The outcomes assessed in the review were pain response (reactivity and regulation) and adverse events. The level of certainty in the evidence and risk of bias were based on the Cochrane risk of bias tool and the GRADE approach. We analysed the standardised mean difference (SMD) using the generic inverse variance method to determine effect sizes.  MAIN RESULTS: We included total of 138 studies (11,058 participants), which includes an additional 76 new studies for this update. Of these 138 studies, we analysed 115 (9048 participants) and described 23 (2010 participants) qualitatively. We described qualitatively studies that could not be meta-analysed due to being the only studies in their category or statistical reporting issues. We report the results of the 138 included studies here. An SMD effect size of 0.2 represents a small effect, 0.5 a moderate effect, and 0.8 a large effect. The thresholds for the I2 interpretation were established as follows: not important (0% to 40%); moderate heterogeneity (30% to 60%); substantial heterogeneity (50% to 90%); considerable heterogeneity (75% to 100%). The most commonly studied acute procedures were heel sticks (63 studies) and needlestick procedures for the purposes of vaccines/vitamins (35 studies). We judged most studies to have high risk of bias (103 out of 138), with the most common methodological concerns relating to blinding of personnel and outcome assessors. Pain responses were examined during two separate pain phases: pain reactivity (within the first 30 seconds after the acutely painful stimulus) and immediate pain regulation (after the first 30 seconds following the acutely painful stimulus). We report below the strategies with the strongest evidence base for each age group. In preterm born neonates, non-nutritive sucking may reduce pain reactivity (SMD -0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.03 to -0.11, moderate effect; I2 = 93%, considerable heterogeneity) and improve immediate pain regulation (SMD -0.61, 95% CI -0.95 to -0.27, moderate effect; I2 = 81%, considerable heterogeneity), based on very low-certainty evidence. Facilitated tucking may also reduce pain reactivity (SMD -1.01, 95% CI -1.44 to -0.58, large effect; I2 = 93%, considerable heterogeneity) and improve immediate pain regulation (SMD -0.59, 95% CI -0.92 to -0.26, moderate effect; I2 = 87%, considerable heterogeneity); however, this is also based on very low-certainty evidence. While swaddling likely does not reduce pain reactivity in preterm neonates (SMD -0.60, 95% CI -1.23 to 0.04, no effect; I2 = 91%, considerable heterogeneity), it has been shown to possibly improve immediate pain regulation (SMD -1.21, 95% CI -2.05 to -0.38, large effect; I2 = 89%, considerable heterogeneity), based on very low-certainty evidence. In full-term born neonates, non-nutritive sucking may reduce pain reactivity (SMD -1.13, 95% CI -1.57 to -0.68, large effect; I2 = 82%, considerable heterogeneity) and improve immediate pain regulation (SMD -1.49, 95% CI -2.20 to -0.78, large effect; I2 = 92%, considerable heterogeneity), based on very low-certainty evidence.  In full-term born older infants, structured parent involvement was the intervention most studied. Results showed that this intervention has little to no effect in reducing pain reactivity (SMD -0.18, 95% CI -0.40 to 0.03, no effect; I2 = 46%, moderate heterogeneity) or improving immediate pain regulation (SMD -0.09, 95% CI -0.40 to 0.21, no effect; I2 = 74%, substantial heterogeneity), based on low- to moderate-certainty evidence. Of these five interventions most studied, only two studies observed adverse events, specifically vomiting (one preterm neonate) and desaturation (one full-term neonate hospitalised in the NICU) following the non-nutritive sucking intervention. The presence of considerable heterogeneity limited our confidence in the findings for certain analyses, as did the preponderance of evidence of very low to low certainty based on GRADE judgements.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Overall, non-nutritive sucking, facilitated tucking, and swaddling may reduce pain behaviours in preterm born neonates. Non-nutritive sucking may also reduce pain behaviours in full-term neonates. No interventions based on a substantial body of evidence showed promise in reducing pain behaviours in older infants. Most analyses were based on very low- or low-certainty grades of evidence and none were based on high-certainty evidence. Therefore, the lack of confidence in the evidence would require further research before we could draw a definitive conclusion.

The effect of swaddling method applied to preterm infants during the aspiration procedure on pain

PURPOSE

The study was carried out to determine the effect of the swaddling method on pain in preterm infants (between 27 and 36 weeks) hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit during the aspiration procedure. Preterm infants were recruited by convenience sampling from level III neonatal intensive care units in a city in Turkey.

METHOD

The study was conducted in a randomized controlled trial manner. The study consisted of preterm infants (n = 70) receiving care or treatment at a neonatal intensive care unit. While swaddling was applied to the infants in the experimental group before the aspiration process. The pain was assessed before, during, and after the nasal aspiration using the Premature Infant Pain Profile.

RESULTS

No significant difference was found in terms of pre-procedural pain scores whereas a statistically significant difference was detected in terms of pain scores during and after the procedure between the groups.

CONCLUSION

It was determined in the study that the swaddling method reduced the pain of the preterm infants during the aspiration procedure.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This study emphasized that swaddling had pain-reducing during the aspiration procedure in the neonatal intensive care unit in preterm infants. It is recommended that future studies be conducted using different invasive procedures in preterm infants born earlier.

Analgesic Role of Breastfeeding: Analysis of Effectiveness, Implementation Barriers, and Strategies to Promote Evidence-Based Practice

Objective:

Exposure to painful stimuli serves as toxic stress for infants, increasing their subsequent pain sensitivity and resulting in neurodevelopmental impairments. Besides offering nutritional, psychological, immunological, and economic benefits, breastfeeding is reported as the most effective analgesia for the management of minor procedural pain in infants. Although breastfeeding holds several advantages, implementation of this nonpharmacological intervention is still uncommon in many clinical settings.

Methods:

This scoping review presents an analysis of 29 clinical trials that compare the effectiveness of breastfeeding with other nonpharmacological methods.

Findings:

Breastfeeding is an efficacious analgesia compared with sucrose, sweet solutions, and other nonpharmacological methods. When used alone or in combination with other nonpharmacological interventions, breastfeeding reduces infants’ biobehavioral responses to pain and promotes faster physiologic recovery after painful procedures. Breastfeeding is recommended as the first choice whenever feasible. Barriers to the uptake of this effective pain management method in clinical practice include misinformation/inconsistent use of evidence, an infant’s impaired sucking reflex, maternal–child separation, the workload of healthcare professionals, a lack of parental involvement, assumptions of healthcare providers, and a lack of adequate information/guidance for parents. Strategies to promote the uptake of breastfeeding for the management of procedural pain in infants include an effective partnership between healthcare providers and breastfeeding mothers, knowledge mobilization resources in multiple languages, informational support and media campaigns, and experiential learning opportunities for breastfeeding mothers.

Conclusions:

Successful implementation of baby-friendly hospital initiatives, a patient-centered approach, family-centered care, and the collaborative efforts of healthcare providers in all healthcare settings is recommended to promote the uptake of breastfeeding as analgesia.

Effects of Swaddling During Bottle Feeding in Preterm Infants

BACKGROUND

Preterm infants have immature oral feeding skills, affecting length of hospital stay and long-term feeding outcomes. Swaddling has positive effects on pain and stress responses, state regulation, and physiological stability in preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Swaddling during bottle feeding may support preterm infant behavioral organization and oral feeding skills. Swaddling is used inconsistently during feeding in the NICU and has not been critically examined for effects on bottle feeding performance in preterm infants.

PURPOSE

To examine the effects of swaddling on bottle feeding quality and efficiency in preterm infants.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 30 infants born before 34 weeks of gestation was selected in an urban level IV NICU. Using an experimental, randomized crossover design, each infant was swaddled for one feeding and unswaddled for one feeding. Feeding efficiency was measured by rate and volume consumed. Feeding quality was examined by the Early Feeding Skills Assessment and frequency of physiological changes. Data were analyzed using dependent t tests and Wilcoxon signed rank test.

RESULTS

When swaddled, participants demonstrated significantly better scores on all related subtests of the Early Feeding Skills Assessment ( P ≤ .001). Infants demonstrated no difference in frequency of bradycardia or oxygen desaturations greater than 4 seconds. No significant differences were found in feeding efficiency outcomes.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH

Swaddling can be used in the NICU to improve bottle feeding quality in preterm infants. Future investigation is needed on long-term effects of swaddling during bottle feeding on feeding performance, weight gain, and length of stay.

The consequences of neonatal pain, stress and opiate administration in animal models: An extensive meta-analysis concerning neuronal cell death, motor and behavioral outcomes

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the association of neonatal exposure to pain, stress, opiate administration alone, as well as opiate administration prior to a painful procedure on neuronal cell death, motor, and behavioral outcomes in rodents. In total, 36 studies investigating the effect of pain (n = 18), stress (n = 15), opiate administration (n = 13), as well as opiate administration prior to a painful event (n = 7) in rodents were included in our meta-analysis. The results showed a large effect of pain (g = 1.37, 95% CI 1.00-1.74, p < .001) on neuronal cell death. Moreover, higher number of neonatal pain events were significantly associated with increased neuronal cell death, increased anxiety (b = -1.18, SE = 0.43, p = .006), and depressant-like behavior (b = 1.74, SE = 0.51, p = .027) in rodents. Both opiates and pain had no impact on motor function (g = 0.26, 95% CI 0.18-0.70, p = .248).

The effect of concurrent use of swaddle and sucrose on the intensity of pain during venous blood sampling in neonate: a clinical trial study

Background & objective

Infants undergo painful procedures while receiving care and treatment. Blood sampling is the most common painful procedure for infants. Pain control plays a significant role in preventing unwanted physical and psychological effects. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of concurrent use of swaddle and sucrose taste on the pain intensity during venous blood sampling in neonates.

Methods

In this clinical trial study, 60 infants admitted to the neonatal ward of Amirkola Hospital were randomly divided into four groups of 15 patients. In the first group, the infants were swaddled before blood sampling. In the second group, sucrose was administered to infants. In the third group, the neonates were swaddled and given sucrose simultaneously, and in the fourth group (control), blood sampling was performed routinely. PIPP pain scale and demographic questionnaire were used to collect the data. Data analysis was performed using SPSS23.

Results

The results showed a significant difference between the mean pain intensity in neonates in the sucrose-swaddle group (4.53 ± 1.30) and the sucrose (7.73 ± 2.73), swaddle (9.86 ± 33.33), and control (12.13 ± 2.06) groups during blood sampling (P < 0.001). Besides, after blood sampling, there was a significant difference between the mean pain intensity in neonates in the sucrose-swaddle group (4.33 ± 1.23) and the sucrose (8.13 ± 2.66), swaddle (7.73 ± 2.78), and control (10.00. ± 1.96) groups (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The present study showed that pain severity during and after venous blood sampling was lower in the swaddle-sucrose group than in other groups. Therefore, it is recommended that the combined method of swaddle-sucrose be used in infants as a better pain reliever when intravenous blood sampling is performed.

Painful procedures and pain management in newborns admitted to an intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE

To characterize painful procedures, analgesic strategies, vital signs, and pain scores in hospitalized newborns.

METHOD

This is a primary, observational, prospective clinical study, developed in a Brazilian public hospital. Demographic data, painful procedures, pain relief measures, vital signs, and pain scores were collected from the clinical records of 90 newborns admitted to the intensive care unit and evaluated between admission and the third day of admission. For statistical analysis, the software Statistic Package for the Social Sciences and the R Software were used.

RESULTS

Newborns underwent 2,732 painful procedures, 540 non-pharmacological and 216 pharmacological strategies. The most frequently performed procedure was the heel prick (20.96%). The most commonly recorded non-pharmacological strategy was dim lighting (28.33%) and continuous fentanyl (48.83%) was the main pharmacological measure adopted. Pain score and vital signs show variability in the period evaluated.

CONCLUSION

Despite the high number of painful procedures, pain assessment records do not reflect procedural pain and the use of analgesic strategies was insufficient.

Psychosocial and Neurobiological Vulnerabilities of the Hospitalized Preterm Infant and Relevant Non-pharmacological Pain Mitigation Strategies

Background: Preterm pain is common in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), with multiple invasive procedures occurring daily. Objective: To review the psychosocial and neurobiological vulnerabilities of preterm infants and to provide an updated overview of non-pharmacological strategies for acute procedural pain in hospitalized preterm infants. Methods: We utilized a narrative review methodology, which also included a synthesis of key pieces of published systematic reviews that are relevant to the current work. Results and Conclusions: Preterm infants are uniquely susceptible to the impact of painful procedures and prolonged separation from caregivers that are often inherent in a NICU stay. Non-pharmacological interventions can be efficacious for mitigating procedural pain for preterm infants. Interventions should continue to be evaluated with high quality randomized controlled trials, and should endeavor to take into account the neurobiological and psychosocial aspects of preterm vulnerability for pain prevention and management strategies.

A Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Acute Procedural Pain on Neonates

OBJECTIVES

During hospitalization in neonatal intensive care units, neonates are exposed to many painful procedures within a stressful environment. To date, many evidence-based guidelines are available. However, the quality of these guidelines and their clinical application remain unclear. This systematic review aimed to determinie the quality of existing guidelines on the management of procedural pain in neonates and to summarize the recommendations provided by these guidelines.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A structured search was conducted in Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, JBI database, and gray literature resources in November 2018 to identify relevant guidelines published from 2007 onward. Published guidelines and guidelines from complementary searches were included in the treating assessment or management of procedural pain in neonates. The methodological quality was analyzed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II Instrument.

RESULTS

A total of 1154 records were identified. After screening for eligibility, 17 guidelines were included in this review. Among these, 11 were identified to be high-quality guidelines. Besides the usual recommendations for pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments, the inclusion of parents, improving interprofessional collaboration, and considering the setting were identified as important elements.

DISCUSSION

The results of this review show that there is a need to improve the methodological quality of guidelines for procedural pain in newborns. The set of recommendations for procedural pain prevention needs to involve not only pharmacological and nonpharmacological pain treatment but also parents and interprofessional collaboration. It is also essential to take into account facilitators, barriers, and the context to improve pain management.

The impact of Nonpharmacological Interventions on Cortisol During Heel Lance Procedures on Preterm Infants: A Meta-Analysis Of RCTs

BACKGROUND

Current research suggests a need to implement environmental, behavioral, and even nutritional interventions, with the objective of improving the comfort and stability of preterm newborn infants, as well as reducing their stress and pain levels. Several studies have used the salivary reactivity of cortisol to assess stress or pain in preterm infants. The aim of this study was to analyze the results of published randomized controlled trials that tested the effects of nonpharmacological interventions on cortisol as a treatment for heel lance pain/stress in preterm infants.

METHODS

Published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched in PubMed, Embase, CINHAL, Web of Science Cochrane Library, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and six studies met the eligibility criteria. The quality of the included studies was appraised using Cochrane's Collaboration tool.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis showed that non-pharmacological interventions were associated with a reduction in levels of salivary cortisol in comparison with other interventions and controls, with fixed effect mean differences of -0.11, and with a 95% C.I. of -0.28 to -0.05. Prone-nest position, breast milk odor, kangaroo care, and twins co-bedding led to a decrease in cortisol levels in saliva.

CONCLUSION

Future studies should be performed on nonpainful interventions in order to gain more knowledge about the regulation of cortisol in saliva in preterm infants with involving control group and larger sample sizes.

Influence of swaddling on tactile manual learning in preterm infants

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Swaddling is a well-known technique in developmental care programs as there is some evidence that swaddling is an appropriate stress-reducing method for preterm infants in the NICU. However, no experimental study has investigated the influence of swaddling in a learning context. This study aimed to assess the impact of swaddling on tactile manual abilities in preterm infants.

METHODS

Two phases were introduced for all infants: habituation (successive presentation of the same object, prism or cylinder in the left hand), followed by discrimination (presentation of a new-shaped object). The infants were assigned to one of the two conditions (swaddled; non-swaddled).

RESULTS

Forty preterm infants were included (between 28 and 35 weeks' postconceptional age). First, swaddled and non-swaddled infants exhibited similar tactile habituation abilities. However, all infants needed more time and more trials to habituate to the cylinder than to the prism. Second, they all exhibited an effective discrimination, but the importance of the increase in holding time for the new-shaped object varied according to the habituated-shape and the condition. Moreover, stress intensity was higher in non-swaddled infants during tactile exploration. Finally, infants with greater previous swaddling experience during the week preceding the test took more time and more trials to habituate to the object, regardless of the condition.

CONCLUSION

Swaddling preterm infants during sensory learning did not influence the tactile memorization process but would improve the use of their attentional resources. Swaddling seems to provide favorable conditions for sensory learning by improving attention to tactile stimuli.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

This trial, EMMASENS, has been registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (identifier NCT04315428).

Less-Invasive Surfactant Administration for Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome: A Consensus Guideline

INTRODUCTION

Less-invasive surfactant administration (LISA) is a method of surfactant delivery to preterm infants for treating respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), which can reduce the composite risk of death or bronchopulmonary dysplasia and the time on mechanical ventilation.

METHODS

A systematic literature search of studies published up to April 2021 on minimally invasive catheter surfactant delivery in preterm infants with RDS was conducted. Based on these studies, with parental feedback sought via an online questionnaire, 9 UK-based specialists in neonatal respiratory disease developed their consensus for implementing LISA. Recommendations were developed following a modified, iterative Delphi process using a questionnaire employing a 9-point Likert scale and an a priori level of agreement/disagreement.

RESULTS

Successful implementation of LISA can be achieved by training the multidisciplinary team and following locally agreed guidance. From the time of the decision to administer surfactant, LISA should take <30 min. The comfort of the baby and requirements to maintain non-invasive respiratory support are important. While many infants can be managed without requiring additional sedation/analgesia, fentanyl along with atropine may be considered. Parents should be provided with sufficient information about medication side effects and involved in treatment discussions.

CONCLUSION

LISA has the potential to improve outcomes for preterm infants with RDS and can be introduced as a safe and effective part of UK-based neonatal care with appropriate training.

Effects of three different methods used during heel lance procedures on pain level in term neonates

AIM

This study aims to experimentally determine effects of three different methods (swaddling; swaddling and holding; swaddling, holding and breastfeeding) used during heel lancing on pain levels in healthy term neonates.

METHODS

This study was a prospective, randomized controlled trial. The sample of newborns (n = 160) were allocated to the groups (group 1, control; group 2, swaddling; group 3, swaddling and holding; group 4, swaddling, holding and breastfeeding) by blocked randomization. The study data were obtained using an information form, and the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS).

RESULTS

The procedural pain scores of group 4 were lower than group 1, group 2 and group 3. Both the total crying time and the first calming time of the groups swaddling, holding and breastfeeding, were shorter than the swaddling, swaddling and holding and the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

As a result, all the three methods are effective in reducing the pain felt during heel lancing in the newborn. However, swaddling, holding and breastfeeding is more effective than the other methods.

The Effects of an Infant Calming Intervention on Mothers' Parenting Self-Efficacy and Satisfaction During the Postpartum Period: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a behavioral infant calming technique to support mothers' parenting self-efficacy and parenting satisfaction. The methods of this randomized controlled trial are based on the CONSORT guidelines. Data were collected during March 1 to May 20, 2019, from 3 postpartum units in 1 university-level hospital in Finland. A total of 250 mothers agreed to participate, of which 120 were randomly allocated to the intervention group and 130 to the control group. All mothers completed a baseline questionnaire before randomization. Mothers in the intervention group were taught the 5 S's infant calming technique. The control group received standard care. Follow-up data were collected 6 to 8 weeks postpartum. The primary outcome measure was the change in parenting self-efficacy and parenting satisfaction scores over the follow-up period. The intervention group showed significantly larger improvements in parenting self-efficacy scores. There were no statistically significant differences in median improvements in parenting satisfaction. The 5 S's infant calming technique is feasible. These study findings may assist midwifery and neonatal nursing staff to support mothers and families during the postpartum period, whether the infants are fussy or not.

Non-pharmacological pain management in the neonatal intensive care unit: Managing neonatal pain without drugs

Premature infants hospitalized after birth are exposed to repeated painful procedures as part of their routine medical care. Early neonatal exposure to unmanaged pain has been linked to numerous negative long-term outcomes, such as the development of pain hypersensitivity, detrimental psychological symptomology, and altered neurodevelopment. These findings emphasize the crucial role of pain management in neonatal care. The aim of this article is to give an overview of evidence-based non-pharmacological pain management techniques for hospitalized neonates. Research supporting the effectiveness of various proximal, distal, and procedural pain management methods in neonates will be presented. Additionally, understanding the larger biopsychosocial context of the infant that underpins the mechanisms of these pain management methods is essential. Therefore, two important models that inform non-pharmacological approaches to infant pain management (DIAPR-R [The Development of Infant Acute Pain Responding-Revised], Attachment Theory) will be discussed.

Effect of music (Brahms lullaby) and non-nutritive sucking on heel lance in preterm infants: A randomized controlled crossover trial

OBJECTIVES

This study examined a more effective pain management method, without sucrose, on heel lance in preterm infants using the Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP).

DESIGN

In a nonblinded, randomized controlled, two-period, two-sequence crossover trial, 25 infants were randomly allocated to intervention (a Brahms lullaby with non-nutritive sucking, facilitated tucking and holding) or standard care (facilitated tucking and holding).

SETTING

Local Perinatal Medical Centre's NICU in Japan, July 2014 until June 2015.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome variable was PIPP, and secondary outcomes were heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation, and abnormal HR (> baseline mean plus 2 SDs, or <120 minus 2 SDs).

RESULTS

The infants were 33.8 weeks gestational age at birth, 1,983.7 g birth weight, and 32 to 35 weeks postconceptual age. At all 10 measurement points, constructed of every 30 seconds postheel lance, mean PIPP of infants during the intervention (3.6 to 2.4) was significantly lower than during the standard care (8.0 to 4.6) (range, P=0.0039 to P<0.0001). All PIPP reduction rates from the 30 seconds point were similar between the two groups. The HR of preterm infants at the 120 seconds points were significantly lower (P=0.0151), and the HRs of 6 points were considerably lower during the intervention than during the standard care (range, P≤0.0879 to P≥0.049). The abnormal HR total number was significantly lower during the intervention (2) than the standard care (23) (frequency ratio=0.087, P<0.0001).

CONCLUSION

This method demonstrated stronger analgesia, early pain relief, and maintenance of homeostasis on heel lance in preterm infants.

A Systematic Review of Behavioral and Environmental Interventions for Procedural Pain Management in Preterm Infants

PROBLEM

Current research suggests behavioral and environmental interventions to prevent neonatal pain prior to an invasive procedure are rarely administered and seldom documented. The aim of this study was to systematically review findings from published randomized controlled trials that tested the effects of behavioral and environmental procedural pain management interventions on behavioral pain response in preterm infants.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Randomized controlled trials examining the effects of behavioral and environmental pain management interventions on behavioral pain response in preterm infants were identified. Articles accepted for inclusion met the following criteria: English language, original, peer refereed, randomized controlled clinical trials published within the past 5 years, study sample: preterm infants, setting: neonatal intensive care units, study intervention behavioral and environmental, outcome pain measurement score from valid and reliable pain scale.

SAMPLE

Fourteen randomized controlled trials from a literature search of PubMed and Medline databases were included in this review.

RESULTS

Across all age groups, facilitated tucking, oral sucrose, and kangaroo care decreased behavioral and physiologic pain response alone and in combination with other behavioral and environmental interventions.

CONCLUSION

Among preterm infants, facilitated tucking, oral sucrose, and kangaroo care significantly mitigates biobehavioral pain response associated with acutely painful procedures.

IMPLICATIONS

Evidence suggests that behavioral and environmental interventions can decrease biobehavioral pain response associated with acutely painful procedures in preterm infants. This review highlights the need for rigorous studies to help healthcare providers to build a tailored pain treatment plan for preterm infants.

A Review of Non-Pharmacological Treatments for Pain Management in Newborn Infants

Pain is a major problem in sick newborn infants, especially for those needing intensive care. Pharmacological pain relief is the most commonly used, but might be ineffective and has side effects, including long-term neurodevelopmental sequelae. The effectiveness and safety of alternative analgesic methods are ambiguous. The objective was to review the effectiveness and safety of non-pharmacological methods of pain relief in newborn infants and to identify those that are the most effective. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched using the terms: “infant”, “premature”, “pain”, “acupuncture”, “skin-to-skin contact”, “sucrose”, “massage”, “musical therapy” and ‘breastfeeding’. We included 24 studies assessing different methods of non-pharmacological analgesic techniques. Most resulted in some degree of analgesia but many were ineffective and some were even detrimental. Sucrose, for example, was often ineffective but was more effective than music therapy, massage, breast milk (for extremely premature infants) or non-invasive electrical stimulation acupuncture. There were also conflicting results for acupuncture, skin-to-skin care and musical therapy. Most non-pharmacological methods of analgesia provide a modicum of relief for preterm infants, but none are completely effective and there is no clearly superior method. Study is also required to assess potential long-term consequences of any of these methods.

Biobehavioral Responses of Preterm Infants to Conventional and Swaddled Tub Baths: A Randomized Crossover Trial

Bathing is a routine care procedure that exposes preterm infants to prolonged handling, which could cause stress and potentially disrupt infants' biobehavioral responses. The aim of this double-blind randomized crossover trial was to compare the preterm infant's body temperature, heart rate (HR), peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2), salivary cortisol levels, and sleep-wake states during and after swaddled and conventional tub baths. Forty-three infants born at 32 to 36 weeks postmenstrual age, weighing 2225 g or less, were enrolled in the study. Infants were videotaped before and after each type of baths. The time interval between baths ranged from 24 to 72 hours to allow a washout period. Physiological, hormonal, and behavioral responses were collected at baseline and during recovery from baths. No significant differences in the mean body temperature, HR, SpO2, salivary cortisol levels, and sleep-wake states between the bath types were observed in the baseline or recovery responses during the first 20 minutes after bath. Regardless of bath type, salivary cortisol levels showed a nonstatistical significant increase.