title: Neonatal pain management.
abstract: The past 2-3 decades have seen dramatic changes in the approach to pain management in the neonate. These practices started with refuting previously held misconceptions regarding nociception in preterm infants. Although neonates were initially thought to have limited response to painful stimuli, it was demonstrated that the developmental immaturity of the central nervous system makes the neonate more likely to feel pain. It was further demonstrated that untreated pain can have long-lasting physiologic and neurodevelopmental consequences. These concerns have resulted in a significant emphasis on improving and optimizing the techniques of analgesia for neonates and infants. The following article will review techniques for pain assessment, prevention, and treatment in this population with a specific focus on acute pain related to medical and surgical conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, U.S ; Department of Anesthesiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
authors.forename: Tarun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bhalla
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, U.S ; Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
authors.forename: Ed
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, U.S ; Department of Anesthesiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, U.S ; Department of Pediatrics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
authors.forename: Joseph D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Tobias
keywords: Neonatal anesthesia; neonatal pain management; opioids; pain scores