Effects of breastfeeding and heel warming on pain levels during heel stick in neonates.

AIM: To determine the effects of two different methods, breastfeeding and heel warming, during heel stick procedures on pain levels in healthy term neonates. METHODS: This study was a prospective, randomized controlled trial. The sample of the study consisted of 150 healthy newborns who matched the case selection criteria and were brought to the nursery for the heel stick procedure. Fifty neonates were randomly assigned to each group: breastfeeding (n = 50), heel warming (n = 50), and control (n = 50), using computer-based randomization. The study data were obtained using an Information Form and the Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS). RESULTS: The pre-procedural pain scores of the breastfeeding group (mean 4.44 SD 1.21 seconds) were lower than in the heel warming (mean 6.10 SD 1.07 seconds) and the control group (mean 6.42 SD 0.91 seconds) (P < 0.01). Both the total crying time and the first calming time of the breastfeeding group were shorter than the heel warming and control group. The first calming time of the heel warming group was shorter than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Both breastfeeding and heel warming are effective in reducing the calming time during heel stick procedures. However, breastfeeding is more effective than heel warming in reducing pain during heel stick and should be preferred as the first choice.

Non-pharmacological strategies used to reduce procedural pain in infants by nurses at family health centres.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the methods used by nurses working in family health centres to decrease pain during medical procedures in infants. METHODS: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at family health centres in the county town of Bandirma, and city centres of Karaman and Gaziantep, Turkey, in September and October 2015, and comprised nurses. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews using a questionnaire. SPSS 15 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 144 participants, 71(49.3%) were aged 31-40 years, 74(51.4%) had a bachelor's degree, and 76(52.8%) had worked in a family health centre for 1-5 years. It was observed that 91(63.3%) nurses used contact/massage for decreasing the pain during vaccinations and 72(50.3%) used skin-to-skin contact during heel lance. A statistically significant difference was found between the level of education and use of non-pharmacological methods (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nurses used different non-pharmacologic methods during invasive procedures.

Effects of music therapy and distraction cards on pain relief during phlebotomy in children.

AIM: To investigate three different distraction methods (distraction cards, listening to music, and distraction cards + music) on pain and anxiety relief in children during phlebotomy. METHODS: This study was a prospective, randomized, controlled trial. The sample consisted of children aged 7 to 12years who required blood tests. The children were randomized into four groups, distraction cards, music, distraction cards + music, and controls. Data were obtained through face-to-face interviews with the children, their parents, and the observer before and after the procedure. The children's pain levels were assessed and reported by the parents and observers, and the children themselves who self-reported using Wong-Baker FACES. The children's anxiety levels were also assessed using the Children's Fear Scale. RESULTS: Two hundred children (mean age: 9.01±2.35years) were included. No difference was found between the groups in the self, parent, and observer reported procedural pain levels (p=0.72, p=0.23, p=0.15, respectively). Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between groups in procedural child anxiety levels according to the parents and observer (p=0.092, p=0.096, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Pain and anxiety relief was seen in all three methods during phlebotomy; however, no statistically significant difference was observed.

Comparison of the effectiveness of three different methods in decreasing pain during venipuncture in children: ball squeezing, balloon inflating and distraction cards.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate three different distraction methods (squeezing a soft ball, balloon inflation and distraction cards) on pain and anxiety relief in children during phlebotomy. BACKGROUND: Needle-requiring medical procedures such as venipuncture, phlebotomy and intramuscular injections are common and significant sources of pain for children, and these cause anxiety, distress and fear. DESIGN: This study was a prospective, randomised controlled trial. METHODS: The sample consisted of children (n = 120) who required blood tests. Data were obtained through face-to-face interviews with the children, their parents and the observer before and after the procedure. The children's pain levels were assessed and reported by the parents and observers, and the children themselves who self-reported using Wong-Baker FACES. The children's anxiety levels were also assessed using the Children's Fear Scale. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty children (mean age: 9·64 ± 2·07 years) were included. No difference was found between the groups in the self-, parent- and observer-reported procedural pain levels (p = 0·446, p = 0·467, p = 0·318 respectively). Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between the groups in procedural child anxiety levels according to the parents and observer (p = 0·323, p = 0·144 respectively). CONCLUSION: Pain and anxiety relief was seen in the three methods used during phlebotomy; however, no statistically significant difference was observed. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study contributes to the literature on nonpharmacologic pain relief methods during phlebotomy in children.

Effect of flick application on pain level and duration of crying during infant vaccination.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the research is to determine the effect of flick application to reduce pain on pain level and duration of crying during vaccination. METHOD: This research was carried out on one-month-old babies in a family health center between March and June 2015. The babies coming for the second dose of Hepatitis B vaccine were divided into experiment and control groups. The babies in experiment group were flicked just before they were vaccinated. On the other hand, the babies in control group were vaccinated in usual way, with no other application. The pain level of babies in both groups was determined using "Neonatal Infant Pain Scale". In addition, babies' duration of crying was recorded. RESULTS: In the study, it was detected that there was not a significant difference between pain score averages of babies in experiment and control groups (p > 0.05) before the application, however a significant difference in pain score average was detected during the application (p < 0.01) and after the application (p < 0.001). Babies' duration of crying was compared and it was determined that babies in experiment group cried for shorter period, but no relevance was found (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Flick application at vaccination area could be used to reduce pain during vaccination at babies.

Identification of the traditional methods of newborn mothers regarding jaundice in Turkey.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To detect traditional methods applied for the treatment of newborn jaundice by mothers in Turkey. BACKGROUND: Traditional methods are generally used in our society. Instead of using medical services, people often use already-known traditional methods to treat the disease. In such cases, the prognosis of the disease generally becomes worse, the treatment period longer and healthcare costs higher, and more medicine is used. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive study. METHODS: The participants of this study were 229 mothers with newborn babies aged 0-28 days in one university hospital and one public children's hospital in Sanliurfa. The study was conducted between March and May 2012. In this research, the Beliefs and Traditional Methods of Mothers for Jaundice Questionnaire, which was formed by searching the relevant literature, is used as a data collection tool. The data are evaluated by percentage distributions. RESULTS: Mothers apply conventional practices in cases of health problems such as jaundice, and application of these methods is important to mothers. Moreover, mothers reported applying hazardous conventional methods in cases of neonatal jaundice, such as cutting the area between the baby's eyebrows with a blade, cutting the back of the ear and the body and burning the body, which are not applied in different cultures. CONCLUSIONS: Education regarding the effects of conventional methods being applied in families should be provided, and the results of this study should serve to guide further studies in assessing the effects of such education. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This approach can support beneficial practices involving individual care and prevent the negative health effects of hazardous practices.