Guideline · Position statement or standards
Prevention and Management of Procedural Pain in the Neonate: An Update
- Comfort and nursing care
- Developmental care and positioning
- Medical
- Neurology
- Nursing
- Pain and comfort
This guideline is from 2016, more than five years ago. Check whether a newer version exists and which version your unit follows.
Summary
This American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement updates guidance on preventing and managing procedural pain in neonates, highlighting that repeated painful exposures may have harmful neurodevelopmental consequences, particularly for the smallest and sickest preterm infants in the NICU. It notes that proven, safe therapies remain underused for routine minor painful procedures. It advises that every facility caring for neonates implement a pain-prevention programme that minimises the number of painful procedures, alongside a pain assessment and management plan. That plan should cover routine pain assessment, pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures for minor procedures, and strategies to minimise pain from surgery and major procedures.
Summary written for NICUlearn. Always read the original.
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