Skin Blood Flow Changes Using Laser Doppler Imager for Assessment of Pain and Analgesia in Newborn Infants

During the last 25 years evidence that newborns can experience pain has been increasing. Painful procedures (injections, heel lances, and circumcisions) are part of normal routine newborn care. Studies have demonstrated that newborns have increased sensitivity to pain when compared with older children and adults. Pain assessment and management is an important component in the overall care of the newborn infant and safe, effective analgesics are needed.

Pain assessment is complicated by the infants' verbal and cognitive limitations. Heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation are commonly monitored in the nursery in response to pain, yet these parameters are affected by handling, illness, medications, as well as by pain. Skin blood flow has been documented to increase in premature newborns undergoing painful procedures in the Newborn Intensive Care Nursery. In the present study, Laser Doppler Imager technology will be used to define changes in skin blood flow response to heel lance and oral sucrose administration in normal newborn infants.

Inclusion criteria

• Informed consent from parent or legal guardian.
• Term, newborn infant, between 1 and 7 days of age.
• Appropriate for gestational age (weight 5th through 95th percentile).

Exclusion criteria

• Small or large for gestational age (weight<5th or >95th percentile).
• Physical or biochemical abnormalities.
• History of maternal drug dependence.
• Apgar score <7 at 5 minutes.
• Current use of analgesics.