Published online Jul 26, 2021. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v9.i21.5921
Peer-review started: February 15, 2021
First decision: April 25, 2021
Revised: May 5, 2021
Accepted: June 1, 2021
Article in press: June 1, 2021
Published online: July 26, 2021
Processing time: 155 Days and 20.3 Hours
Neonatal pain has been underdiagnosed due to several false beliefs.
To determine the status of neonatal pain in newborns who are admitted to intensive care units.
Different databases were searched. Literature reviews and research reports conducted in newborns that were written in English, Spanish, or Portuguese, published between 2010 and 2020, and having free access to the full text were selected. A total of 135 articles were found, and 18 articles were finally reviewed.
Newborns are exposed to numerous painful procedures. In order to assess their pain levels, several scales have been used, although they are sometimes not correctly interpreted. In terms of pain management, the nursing team plays a very important role based mainly on both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches.
Nursing staff members must be well trained in order to identify pain and to interpret the scales correctly. Besides, they have an important role in performing non-pharmacological procedures for pain management.
Core Tip: The painful experiences in newborns can cause side effects both in the short and long term. Nowadays, most newborns admitted to intensive care units do not receive adequate pain assessment using validated clinic scales. Training healthcare professionals is important, so that they can correctly assess and manage pain in newborns, based on evidence and not only on clinical practice or personal experience. There is a lack of protocols about neonatal pain management in intensive care units as well as little presence of pain management teams and/or leaders to tackle it correctly.