Pain Relief in Premature Newborns Through Maternal Intervention During Venipuncture: Effectiveness, Experiences of Parents and Carers

Extremely premature newborn infants (ELNs) admitted to hospital are exposed to stressful and painful stimuli, and often to maternal separation, which can affect their long-term neurological development. Child- and family-centred developmental care (CFDC) in neonatology aims to adapt the hospital environment to the needs of the child, support the continued presence of the family and help to improve their future.

Specific assessment and appropriate analgesic treatment are therefore priorities for preserving the well-being and cerebral development of this population, which is particularly vulnerable to pain. Pain relief for certain procedures necessary for the care of newborn babies, such as venipuncture (PV), remains inadequate. Venipuncture is a common procedure in the first few weeks of life for very premature newborns. Its analgesic treatment is based on non-medicinal strategies largely carried out in the nurse's own role: non-nutritive suctioning combined with the administration of a sugar solution and wrapping. In line with the SDCEF philosophy, and reinforced by the "zero separation" concept, parental involvement in the treatment of their newborn's pain becomes natural and fundamental. A number of studies have shown the benefits of parents' presence and participation through specific isolated analgesic actions. Skin- to-skin contact (PAP) is one of these and has multiple benefits for the newborn. However, in practice, when a PV is necessary for a very premature baby, its use as a pain-relieving strategy is hampered by a number of obstacles. As NN are naturally oriented towards the maternal voice, using it is a new approach to analgesia. In an innovative study carried out in a single centre, direct maternal voice contact, in addition to the usual non- pharmacological analgesic strategies, reduced the NN's pain, without completely eliminating it during heel sampling (a skin incision known to be more painful than a PV). This analgesic strategy should therefore be combined with other non-pharmacological strategies, taking advantage of all maternal skills.