Abstract

VIDAL, M. A. et al. Pain in neonates. Rev. Soc. Esp. Dolor [online]. 2005, vol.12, n.2, pp.98-111. ISSN 1134-8046.

Pain in children has been traditionally inadequately managed. It was though that children inability to verbalize feelings and express pain was synonymous of their inability to feel and remember pain. Neonates frequently have to undergo invasive procedures and currently there are not enough data to state that the neonate is unable to perceive pain. Inadequate management of pain causes an increase of morbi-mortality. In the past years there has been many advances in the care and management of the neonate. There are several scales for measuring and assessing pain in the neonate at term and pre-term. These are based on the observation and recording of physiological disorders, behavioral changes or a combination of both. In this paper, we review the scales more frequently used. Several general measures are critically relevant for the management of pain in the neonate, such as avoidance of unnecessary painful procedures, control of environmental conditions, different types of sweet oral solutions, multisensitive stimulation and breastfeeding of the mother during the painful procedure. However, sometimes all these resources are not enough and we have to use pharmacological measures. The most commonly used drugs are local anesthetics, opiates and non-steroid anti-inflammatory analgesics. Some situations can be stressful and non-painful for the neonate and in this cases sedations is the appropriate treatment. We consider chloral hydrate, remifentanyl and midazolam.

Keywords : Pain; Neonates; Scales; Analgesia.

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