Early repetitive pain in preterm infants in relation to brain development / 国际儿科学杂志

ABSTRACT

With the improvement of medical care the survival rate of preterm infants (gestational age ＜ 37 weeks) increased dramatically,however long-term neurodevelopmental and behavioral problems are still a concern.During their stay in neonatal intensive care unit preterm patients suffer lots of repeated painful procedures while it's a period of rapid brain development.Preterm infants have the nociceptive circuitry to feel the pain,but this system is functionally immature.Because the spinal neuromodulation system is immature that repeated pain stimulation leads to increased nociceptive signaling in the central nervous system.Besides,specific cell populations in the central nervous system of preterm infants are particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress and inflammation.Therefore,it is important that pain-related stress in preterm infants is appropriately managed.