A Randomized Controlled Trial: The Effect of Own Mother's Breast Milk Odor and Another Mother's Breast Milk Odor on Pain Level of Newborn Infants

Abstract

Objective: Our research was conducted empirically to determine whether another mother's breast milk could be used to reduce the pain of newborns who were not able to access their own mother's milk for any reason. Materials and Methods: The sample group of the research included 90 newborns [smell of own mother's milk (30), smell of another mother's milk (30), and the control group (30)] hospitalized in the unit. A neonatal information form was used as the data collection tool, the Neonatal Pain, Agitation, and Sedation Scale (N-PASS) was used to assess the newborn's pain, and an evaluation form prepared by the researcher was used to record the findings. Results: The group which was exposed to their own mother's milk had a significantly lower N-PASS mean score compared to other groups and the group which was exposed to another mother's milk was observed to have a significantly lower N-PASS mean score compared to the control group (p < 0.05). While the median values for the total time spent crying of the "own mother's milk" group and the "another mother's milk" group were similar; the total time spent crying of the control group had a significantly higher median value. Conclusion: Our research determined that, while the most effective method for reducing pain in newborns was the smell of their own mother's breast milk, for newborns who were not able to access their own mother's breast milk, the smell of breast milk from a different mother could also be used.

Keywords: breast milk; newborn; pain; smell.