Could a Certain Sitting Position Reduce the Pain Experienced by a Child? The Benefits of Parental Holding and an Upright Position

Abstract

Intravenous injection is the most feared medical procedure and gives rise to an experience of mild to severe pain in children. Unrestrained pain has a negative effect on the child. Pain management in the form of a convenient sitting position is needed by children who undergo intravenous injection procedures. This study aims to determine the effect of parental holding and an upright position on children's pain during intravenous injection procedures. The study used the Randomized Clinical Trial method involving 34 respondents, aged 1-4 years, who were included in the intervention and control group. The result of a Mann-Whitney U test analysis showed a significant difference in the pain score between the intervention and control groups (p value = .000; α = .05). The parental holding and upright position can be applied as a nonpharmacological pain management strategy for children who undergo intravenous injection procedures.

Keywords: Intravenous injection; pain; upright position.