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What is Parenting Pain Away?

  • A secure website developed by a team of parents, clinicians, and researchers
  • Designed to help you learn how to confidently comfort your baby during procedures

Why is providing comfort important?

  • After birth and in their first year, your baby will have minor procedures, like needles, as part of their normal care. (1,2)
  • All babies feel and remember pain. (1)
  • Newborns don't have many ways to cope with pain yet. (1)

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
 
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IWK ICU April Photography By Scott Munn 2019 Edit28846 copy.JPG

Parents help protect their baby from pain by using these strategies: (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. When in-hospital a nurse can give this to your baby 2 minutes before a procedure. Ask your nurse for more information. 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. It is recommended that you put this medication on your baby's skin 30-60 minutes before a needle. Learn more!

Familiar Touch

Holding your baby during painful procedures will help them feel calm and secure. For the best pain relief, you should hold your baby while comforting them in other ways, like using a sweet tasting solution. Learn more!

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Your baby knows and prefers your touch, they find this comforting especially during painful procedures.

Watch this short video to learn how researchers have found that parents can use skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding to help comfort their baby during painful procedures!

Want this video in a different language?

Thanks to our partners around the world, sub-titles for this video are available in over 19 languages!

Here’s how to change the language sub-titles:

  • Click the Settings icon at the bottom of the video screen (the icon looks like a small gear).
  • Click Subtitles/CC.
  • Select a language.
  • Enjoy!

That was a quick summary of the information in Parenting Pain Away! Bottom line is that parents have power. You have an amazing ability to lower the pain your baby feels. Partner with your healthcare team to treat pain during procedures.

And remember, you are the best advocate for your family!

If you would like to learn more, let’s go explore 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