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Heel stick pain reduced when babies are held and swaddled
Morrow C. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 2010;doi:10.1097/NMC.0b013e3181f4fc53.
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Holding and swaddling newborns reduced pain during routine blood sampling, according to researchers from Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne.
“Swaddling infants while holding them in an upright position was superior for pain relief during heel lance procedures when compared with a standard position technique,” the researchers wrote.
The study included 42 newborns who were randomly assigned to two groups. In the first group, the babies received the heel stick procedure while lying in the crib. In the second group, the babies were swaddled and held upright during the heel stick procedure.
Pain responses were analyzed on a standard seven-point scale. Behaviors such as facial expressions and crying were used to determine the pain score. Infants who were swaddled had significantly lower pain scores: an average score of 1.3 vs. 2.7 for infants who were not swaddled. The researchers also evaluated the time to collect the samples, but this was not significantly different between the two groups.
“It is important to evaluate an address pain issues experienced by neonates during routine heel lancing, not only to increase the infants’ comfort but also to decrease the negative consequences of excessive pain,” they wrote. “Evaluating nursing practice is essential in the development of evidence-based nursing interventions.”
The researchers call for more studies to evaluate nondrug methods of pain control for newborns, including those undergoing other painful procedures.