Newborn infants experience pain with various medical procedures and it should be managed properly to avoid negative effects. However, assessing pain in newborn is a challenging task as it is already a subjective process. This article gives an overview of the methods used to assess and minimize pain in newborn infants. Newborns – preterm as well as term, do feel pain just like adults; sometimes they may experience a greater sensitivity to pain as compared to children of older age groups and adults.
They may be susceptible to long-term effects of painful stimulation which may affect their neurologic and behavioral development. Pain assessment in a newborn is difficult as they are non-verbal and there is no standardized or universal approach to assess neonatal pain. There are certain tools used in the NICU for acute pain assessment which include PIPP (premature infant pain profile), NPASS…
