Soothing pain-elicited distress in Chinese neonates.
OBJECTIVE
To test the effect of nonnutritive sucking (NNS), music therapy (MT), and combined NNS and MT (NNS + MT), versus no intervention, on heart rate, transcutaneous oxygen (TcPaO(2)) levels, and pain behavior of neonates in intensive care units having blood taken by a heel-stick procedure.


METHODS
A within-subjects, counter-balancing, repeated-measures design conducted in a government-funded hospital in Hong Kong, comparing TcPaO(2) levels, heart rate, and pain behavior outcomes in 27 neonates.


RESULTS
Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance revealed statistically significant differences in outcomes across all interventions (Wilk's lambda =.142; F [3,27] = 31.82; eta2 =.47). One-way analysis of variance revealed that the 3 comfort interventions significantly reduced neonates' heart rate (Wilk's lambda =.647; F [2,27] = 18.93; eta2 =.35), improved their TcPaO(2) levels (Wilk's lambda =.481; F [2,27] = 37.42; eta2 =.51), and reduced their pain behavior (Wilk's lambda =.312; F [2,27] = 76.42; eta2 =.68). Posthoc scheffe tests revealed that NNS + MT had the strongest effect on neonates' TcPaO(2) levels and pain behavior; MT alone had the strongest effect on neonates' heart rate.


CONCLUSIONS
Health professionals using NNS + MT when doing heel-sticks can improve the TcPaO(2) levels of neonates and reduce their pain. Using MT alone can improve the heart rate of neonates.
Bo
L K
LK
Pamela Youde Nethersole Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
Callaghan
P
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D001800:Blood Specimen Collection; D006339:Heart Rate; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009147:Music Therapy; D009339:Needles; D010092:Oximetry; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D013391:Sucking Behavior