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. 2010 May;15(5):289-93.
doi: 10.1093/pch/15.5.289.

Mothers' beliefs about analgesia during childhood immunization

Elena Parvez  1 , Jennifer Stinson, Heather Boon, Joanne Goldman, Vibhuti Shah, Anna Taddio
Affiliations

Mothers' beliefs about analgesia during childhood immunization

Elena Parvez et al. Paediatr Child Health. 2010 May.

Abstract
in English, French

Background: Immunization injections are the most common painful medical procedures experienced during childhood, yet there is a discrepancy between recommendations for the effective use of topical anesthetics to reduce vaccine injection pain and actual practice.

Objective: To improve our understanding of mothers' experiences and practices regarding their children's routine immunizations.

Method: Adopting an interpretive, naturalistic paradigm, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 mothers to examine their perceptions and experiences of their children's immunization pain and pain management.

Results: The findings demonstrated three main themes: attitudes toward immunization pain, immunization pain management and physicians as sources of information. Participants described feeling distressed while their children were being immunized, but most managed these difficulties by focusing on the benefits of immunization and by minimizing or justifying the pain. All of the participants used non-pharmacological techniques to manage immunization injection pain. Few mothers were aware of the availability of topical anesthetics. When participants did use pharmacological analgesic approaches, oral analgesics were most likely to be used for prophylaxis and treatment of fever, and participants were unaware of evidence-based approaches to managing pain. Participants viewed their physicians as trusted sources of information, and the majority said that they would likely use a topical anesthetic in the future if recommended or approved by their physician.

Conclusion: The present findings provide direction for future knowledge translation activities to enhance the knowledge of mothers and clinicians regarding pain during immunization injections and its effective management.

HISTORIQUE :: Les injections de vaccin sont les interventions médicales douloureuses les plus courantes pendant l’enfance, mais il existe un écart entre la pratique et les recommandations relatives à l’utilisation efficace de l’anesthésie topique pour réduire cette douleur.

OBJECTIF :: Améliorer nos connaissances des expériences et des pratiques des mères au sujet de la vaccination systématique de leur enfant.

MÉTHODOLOGIE :: Au moyen d’un paradigme interprétatif et naturaliste, les chercheurs ont effectué des entrevues semi-structurées avec 15 mères afin d’examiner leurs perceptions et leurs expériences au sujet de la douleur que ressent leur enfant pendant la vaccination et de la prise en charge de cette douleur.

RÉSULTATS :: Les résultats font ressortir trois grands thèmes : les attitudes envers la douleur causée par la vaccination, la prise en charge de cette douleur et les médecins à titre de sources d’information. Les participantes ont décrit se sentir désemparées pendant que leur enfant se faisait vacciner, mais la plupart ont géré cette difficulté en se concentrant sur les bienfaits de la vaccination et en minimisant ou en justifiant la douleur. Toutes les participantes ont utilisé des techniques non pharmacologiques pour gérer la douleur causée par l’injection du vaccin. Peu de mères connaissaient l’existence d’analgésiques topiques. Lorsqu’elles utilisaient des analgésiques pharmacologiques, les analgésiques oraux les plus susceptibles d’être utilisés visaient la prophylaxie et le traitement de la fièvre, et les participantes n’étaient pas au courant des méthodes probantes pour prendre en charge la douleur. Les participantes percevaient leur médecin comme une source d’information fiable, et la majorité ont affirmé qu’elles utiliseraient probablement un anesthésique topique à l’avenir si leur médecin en recommandait et en approuvait l’usage.

CONCLUSION :: Les présentes observations orientent les futures activités de transfert du savoir en vue d’accroître les connaissances des mères et des cliniciens au sujet de la douleur pendant les injections de vaccin et de la prise en charge efficace de cette douleur.

Keywords: Child; Immunization; Infant; Pain management; Qualitative research; Topical anesthetics.

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