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Comforting your baby.

During your baby’s stay in the hospital, it is likely that they will experience pain and stress as part of their routine care (1,2)

  • Babies feel and remember pain. (1)
  • Newborns don't have many ways to cope with pain yet. (1)

Without the ability to tell us what hurts or how to make it better, they can become easily overwhelmed and stressed. This stress can change how your baby’s brain grows and develops.

Untreated pain can affect how your baby experiences pain later in life. (3-10)

With untreated pain, your baby might:

  • Feel more pain during other procedures
  • Feel anxious before experiencing a painful procedure
  • Develop a fear of needles

You can help your baby feel less pain and experience less stress by providing them with your familiar comfort!

IWK ICU April Photography By Scott Munn 2019 Edit28739 copy.JPG

Parents help protect their baby from pain & stress by: (1,11)

Skin-to-skin contact

The act of holding a baby upright, wearing only a diaper, against your bare chest.

Hold your baby skin-to-skin for at least 15 minutes before a procedure. Learn more!

Breastfeeding

Feeding a baby breast milk directly from a parent's breast. One of the most powerful ways to comfort your baby during procedures.

Start breastfeeding at least 2 - 5 minutes before a painful procedure and continue feeding during for the best effect. Learn more!

Sweet tasting solutions

A sweet tasting water based solution that is used to control mild pain in infants less than 1 year of age. Learn more!

Medicine

Using topical anaesthetic, a special, over the counter medication that freezes an area of your baby’s skin where the needle will go. Learn more!

Familiar Touch

Holding your baby during painful procedures will help them feel calm and secure. Learn more!

By providing your baby with your familiar voice, smell and touch, you can help reduce their pain during procedures!

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Have you explored all of the lessons?

 
 
 
 

References

  1. Johnston, C., Disher, T., Benoit, B., Fernandes, A., Streiner, D., Inglis, D., … Inglis, D. (2017). Skin-to-skin care for procedural pain in neonates. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (2). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD008435.pub3.Copyright

  2. American Academy of Pediatrics: Committee on Fetus and Newborn, Section on Surgery, and S. on A. and P. M., Canadian Paediatric Society: Fetus and Newborn Comittee, Batton, D. G., Barrington, K. J., & Wallman, C. (2006). Prevention and management of pain in the neonate: an update. Pediatrics, 118(5), 2231–2241. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-2277

  3. Ozawa M, Kanda K, Hirata M, Kusakawa I, Suzuki C. (2011). Influence of repeated painful procedures on prefrontal cortical pain responses in newborns. Acta Paediatr Int J Paediatr. 100(2):198-203. doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2010.02022.x.

  4. Piira T, Champion GD, Bustos T, Donnelly N, Lui K. (2007). Factors associated with infant pain response following an immunization injection. Early Hum Dev. 83(5):319–326. doi:S0378-3782(06)00185-X.

  5. Taddio, A., Shah, V., Gilbert-MacLeod, C., & Katz, J. (2002). Conditioning and hyperalgesia in newborns exposed to repeated heel lances. Journal of the American Medical Association, 288(7),857-861. doi:joc12153

  6. Taddio A, Shah V, Atenafu E, Katz J. (2009). Influence of repeated painful procedures and sucrose analgesia on the development of hyperalgesia in newborn infants. Pain. 144 (1–2):43–48. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2009.02.012.
  7. Kennedy, A., Basket, M., & Sheedy, K. (2011). Vaccine Attitudes, Concerns, and Information Sources Reported by Parents of Young Children: Results From the 2009 HealthStyles Survey. Pediatrics, 127(Supplement 1), S92–S99. https://doi.org/10.1542/PEDS.2010-1722N
  8. Parvez, E., Stinson, J., Boon, H., Goldman, J., Shah, V., & Taddio, A. (2010). Mothers’ beliefs about analgesia during childhood immunization. Paediatric Child Health, 15(5), 289–293.
  9. Taddio, A., Manley, J., Potash, L., Ipp, M., Sgro, M., & Shah, V. (2007). Routine Immunization Practices: Use of Topical Anesthetics and Oral Analgesics. Pediatrics, 120(3), e637–e643. http://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-3351
  10. Taddio, A., Ilersich, A. L., Ipp, M., Kikuta, A., & Shah, V. (2009a). Physical interventions and injection techniques for reducing injection pain during routine childhood immunizations: Systematic review of randomized controlled trials and quasi-randomized controlled trials. Clinical Therapeutics, 31(SUPPL. 2). http://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinthera.2009.07.024
  11. Taddio, A., Shah, V., Leung, E., Wang, J., Parikh, C., Smart, S., … Franck, L. (2013). Knowledge translation of the HELPinKIDS clinical practice guideline for managing childhood vaccination pain: Usability and knowledge uptake of educational materials directed to new parents. BMC Pediatrics, 13(1), 1–9. http://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2431-13-23