Use of facilitated tucking for nonpharmacological pain management in preterm infants: a systematic review

Abstract

Background: Neonatal care demands attention to interventions that effectively reduce pain with pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods in preterm infants during invasive procedures.

Purpose: The aim of this systematic review was to determine the efficacy of facilitated tucking as nonpharmacological pain management in preterm infants.

Method: Electronic searches were conducted using the following databases: Ovid, Blackwell Synergy, ScienceDirect, PsychINFO, and CINAHL and with the following key words: facilitated tucking, preterm infant's pain responses, and randomized clinical trials for the period of 1995 to May 2008.

Results: The search generated 15 articles; 5 articles fit to the criteria of the systematic review. The following outcomes were statistically significant: heart rate; increase in oxygen saturation; sleep-wake state; Premature Infant Pain Profile scores; and neonate infant pain scores.

Conclusion: The studies reviewed provide important preliminary findings that suggest facilitated tucking may be beneficial to preterm infants in attenuating their responses to painful procedures.