title: Does prone or supine position influence pain responses in preterm infants at 32 weeks gestational age?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of prone and supine position in preterm infants during acute pain of blood collection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight preterm infants (birthweight 1339 [590-2525] g, GA 29 [25- 32] wks) were in 2 groups depending on their position in the isolette prior to and during heel lance at 32 weeks post-conceptional age. The study design was a comparison between groups (Prone, Supine) during 2 events (Baseline, Heel lance).
  
  
  METHODS
  Pain measures were multidimensional, including behavioral (sleep-wake state and facial activity) and physiological (heart rate) responses measured continuously prior to (Baseline) and during blood collection (Lance).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups of infants displayed statistically significant shifts in sleep-wake state to greater arousal, and increased facial activity and heart rate, from Baseline to Lance. Prone position was associated with significantly more deep sleep during Baseline, compared with Supine position, but there were no differences in sleep-wake state during Lance. Minor increased facial activity was shown in some time segments of Baseline for infants in Supine compared with Prone, but did not differ overall between positions. Prone and Supine position did not affect heart rate significantly during Baseline or Lance events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prone position promotes deep sleep in preterm neonates at 32 weeks post-conceptional age when they are undisturbed. However, placement in prone position is not a sufficient environmental comfort intervention for painful invasive procedures such as heel lance for blood sampling in the NICU. Neonates require other environmental supports to promote coping with this stressful event.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Community Child Health Research, B.C. Research Institute for Children's & Women's Health, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. rgunau@cw.bc.ca
authors.forename: Ruth Eckstein
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Grunau
authors.forename: Maria Beatriz Martins
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Linhares
authors.forename: Liisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Holsti
authors.forename: Tim F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Oberlander
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Whitfield
mesh_terms: D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016684:Prone Position / Q000502:physiology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D016683:Supine Position / Q000502:physiology*; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology