Non-pharmacological Methods in Pain Managment During Heel Stick in Preterm Infants

Aims and objectives: This study was performed to examine the effects of Non-nutritive sucking, breast milk odor, and Facilitated tucking on preterm infant pain before, during, and after heel-stick procedures. Design: A randomized clinical trial in a single center. Methods: The study was conducted on 144 premature infants with a gestational age of 31 to 36 weeks and 6 days hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit of Shahid Sayad Shirazi Hospital in Iran. Neonates were randomly assigned to four groups: 36 babies were included in the Non-nutritive sucking(1st Group), 36 in breast milk odor (2nd Group), 36 in Facilitated tucking (3rd Group), and 36 in the control group (4th Group). Pain score, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate of the babies in all groups before, during, and after the procedure were evaluated by two nurses independently.