The effect of a familiar scent on the behavioral and physiological pain responses in neonates

Abstract

There are adverse physiologic effects of pain in neonates, and effective pain management must be an essential aspect of neonatal care. In this study we assessed the effect of a nonmaternal familiar scent on the neonatal pain responses. This study included 135 neonates randomly assigned to one of three groups. During arterial puncture, one group was exposed to a vanillin scent on a gauze pad held next to their nose. They were familiarized with it the night before blood sampling by a scented gauze pad placed in the incubator next to their head for an average duration of 8.65 hours. The second group was not familiarized with the scent but was exposed to it during the procedure. The third group was neither familiarized nor exposed to the scent. The duration of crying in the familiar scent group was significantly lower than in the two other groups. Comparison of the physiologic parameters showed less variation in oxygen saturation level during arterial puncture in the familiar scent group. In this study, a familiar scent could reduce crying and oxygen consumption during arterial puncture.