Objectives: The purpose of the study was to compare a heel stick conducted during skin-to-skin contact with the mother to a heel stick in an warmer in reducing premature infant physiologic and behavioral pain responses. Study Design: 23 premature infants in a University-based NICU were recruited and randomized to two sequences: Sequence A group received three hours of skin-to-skin contact with a heel stick in skin-to-skin followed by three hours in an warmer with a heel stick in the warmer. Sequence B group had warmer care and heel stick before skin contact care and heel stick. Heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, crying time and behavioral state were measured before (baseline), during (heel stick), and after heel stick (post-heel stick). Repeated measures ANOVA and Mann Whitney U statistics were performed to compare baseline, heel stick, and post-heel stick data. Results: Heart rate and crying were significantly reduced during skin-to-skin baseline and heel stick as compared to warmer care baseline and heel stick periods. Three infants did not cry at all during the skin contact heel stick. Infants slept more during skin-to-skin contact than in the warmer. Conclusion: Skin-to-skin positioning before and during a heel stick is a simple and inexpensive intervention to ameliorate pain in medically stable premature infants.
Session #1193 - Issues Related to the Care of Infants & Children
The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)