Is Facilitated Tucking by Parents More Effective than Dextrose Water (10%) in Reducing Full-Term Neonatal Pain during the Heel-Lancing Procedure: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Neonates are exposed to pain as a result of routinely applied painful procedures which in many cases are poorly managed There are numerous non-pharmacologic interventions that could help manage procedural pain There still a lack of evidence supporting the use of several non-pharmacologic interventions, such as facilitated tucking by parents (FTP) for neonatal pain management A randomized controlled three-group experimental design was used to compare the effectiveness of oral dextrose water D10%W vs FTP among neonates whose ages ranged from 24 to 48 hours Three phases of (baseline, during, and after) heel stick procedures were videotaped Pain responses were measured using a behavioral pain scale, as well as physiological pain responses (heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation) A total of 135 neonates were included in the study Both D10W and FTP groups were found to be effective in reducing behavioral scores (P=0 00) And physiological pain scores, including heart rate (P= 0 009), respiratory rate (P=0 01), and oxygen saturation (P=0 002) as compared to control group However, immediately (20sec) after the procedure, the total pain score was significantly lower in dextrose group compared to the other two groups (m= 2 8, SD= 0 7) D10%W and FTP had pain-relieving effects as compared to control in neonates who are 38-40 ± 2 weeks of gestation and are undergoing heel stick procedure However, an added advantage for D10%W, in these times, is reducing physical contact between neonate and parent during limited access of parent to NICUs units a s a result of COVID 19 transmission © 2020, Advanced Scientific Research All rights reserved