Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2014 Nov;8(Suppl 1):S89-97.
doi: 10.4103/1658-354X.144085.

Neonatal pain management

Tarun Bhalla  1 , Ed Shepherd  2 , Joseph D Tobias  3
Affiliations
Review

Neonatal pain management

Tarun Bhalla et al. Saudi J Anaesth. 2014 Nov.

Abstract

The past 2-3 decades have seen dramatic changes in the approach to pain management in the neonate. These practices started with refuting previously held misconceptions regarding nociception in preterm infants. Although neonates were initially thought to have limited response to painful stimuli, it was demonstrated that the developmental immaturity of the central nervous system makes the neonate more likely to feel pain. It was further demonstrated that untreated pain can have long-lasting physiologic and neurodevelopmental consequences. These concerns have resulted in a significant emphasis on improving and optimizing the techniques of analgesia for neonates and infants. The following article will review techniques for pain assessment, prevention, and treatment in this population with a specific focus on acute pain related to medical and surgical conditions.

Keywords: Neonatal anesthesia; neonatal pain management; opioids; pain scores.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

References

    1. Mather L, Mackie J. The incidence of postoperative pain in children. Pain. 1983;15:271–82. - PubMed
    1. Mancuso T, Burns J. Ethical concerns in the management of pain in the neonate. Paediatr Anaesth. 2009;19:953–7. - PubMed
    1. Peters JW, Schouw R, Anand KJ, van Dijk M, Duivenvoorden HJ, Tibboel D. Does neonatal surgery lead to increased pain sensitivity in later childhood? Pain. 2005;114:444–54. - PubMed
    1. Bartocci M, Bergqvist LL, Lagercrantz H, Anand KJ. Pain activates cortical areas in the preterm newborn brain. Pain. 2006;122:109–17. - PubMed
    1. Anand KJ, Runeson B, Jacobson B. Gastric suction at birth associated with long-term risk for functional intestinal disorders in later life. J Pediatr. 2004;144:449–54. - PubMed